1. religion and spirituality
2. islam

Saturday, December 20, 2014 Issue No. 6505
‘Designer
needs to
be upfront’
Deputy Premier
to patronise
Al Ayam
Cultural Fair
Lipsticks were
once
made using
fish scales 8P 6
8P 2
8P 20
TURKEY, QATAR TO FORGE TIES
Bieber loses
3.5 million
followers
8P 18
BITTERSWEET
BALL GAME
DT News Network
I
t’s not yet time for the family of
Irfan Ahmed Baksh Mohammed
to sit and relax, as the woes are piling up each day.
Fortunately, the High Court
had ordered to deposit the
compensation in the bank account
of Mr. Irfan, who had been brutally
assaulted by anti-government
thugs during the 2011 unrest.
But now, Ghulam Nabi, the
muezzin’s brother, alleged that
their lawyer, who fought the case
on behalf of Mr. Irfan, had started
threatening him, demanding the
payment of her fees.
However, the payment has been
stuck at Punjab Bank in Pakistan
as the amount has been credited to
the victim’s account.
Read the full story on Page 3
Mr. Nabi with Mr. Irfan (File picture)
8P 7
No need for
instructors to
change cars
DT News Network
T
raffic Culture Acting
Director in the General
Directorate of Traffic Major
Osama Bahar said, soon citizens
as well as residents could take
the driving tests on cars having
automatic transmission.
Speaking to DT News,
he said, taking the test on
automatic cars would be an
option. “Instructors do not
need to buy new cars, they
can train the students in the
manual cars. The change will
be there only for the test.
There will be the option to
choose manual or automatic
cars,” he said.
Under the current traffic
rules, all driving students
need to pass the test on a
manual car to obtain driving
licence. Major Bahar also urged
the instructors to wait until
the officials announce all
the details before making
decisions about buying a car. Read the full story on Page 2
Israeli air planes
strike in Gaza Strip
Gaza City
sraeli air planes struck
targets in the southern
Gaza Strip, witnesses said
yesterday, hours after a
rocket from the Palestinian
enclave hit the Jewish state.
A spokesman for Gaza’s
health ministry said there
I
were no casualties in the
attack, the first air strike
by Israel on the Palestinian
enclave since the August
truce that ended the deadly
50-day war between the sides.
Meanwhile,
Israel’s
Foreign
Minister
on
Thursday described as
a gimmick a Palestinianproposed U.N. Security
Council draft resolution that
calls for a peace deal within
a year and an end to the
occupation of Palestinian
territories by the end of 2017.
Related story on Page 7
Heavy smoke billows following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City in
this July 29, 2014 file picture.
2
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Auto cArs
optionAl
Driving test
Blast hurts three cops
Manama
Three policemen sustained minor injuries
in an explosion at Bani
Jamrah yesterday. Interior
Ministry stated in its
Twitter that the policemen were patrolling the
area when the incident
happened. “Necessary
steps are being taken,” the
ministry tweeted.
Obama warns N. Korea
Washington
US President Barack
Obama yesterday warned
North Korea it would face
retaliation for a crippling
cyber attack on Sony
Pictures over an irreverent film comedy that
infuriated Pyongyang.
Obama said the movie
giant had “made a mistake” in canceling the
Christmas Day release of
“The Interview,” a madcap romp about a CIA
plot to kill North Korean
leader Kim Jong-Un. Sony
defended its decision,
made after anonymous
hackers invoked the 9/11
attacks in threatening cinemas screening the film,
prompting theater chains
to say they would not risk
showing it.
Controversial
bill made law
Nairobi
Kenyan
President
Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday
signed into law a controversial anti-terrorism bill
that sparked brawls in
parliament and provoked
charges that it violates
basic freedoms. Kenyatta
said he was satisfied that
the text adopted by the
National Assembly on
Thursday did not breach
the country’s bill of rights.
“All concerns raised by the
different stakeholders were
addressed by the relevant
parliamentary committees,”
he told journalists, calling on
all Kenyans to read the new
law and decide for themselves. “Its intent is one - just
one - to protect the lives and
property of all the citizens of
this republic,” he said. The
new law gives authorities
sweeping powers to crack
down on terror suspects and
curtail press freedoms in a
country that has suffered a
string of attacks by Somalia’s
Al Qaeda-linked Shebab
insurgents.
Mohammed Zafran/ DTNN
[email protected]
T
hose vying for the driving
licence will have, for
the first time, the option to
choose taking the driving test
on automatic cars, the traffic
directorate confirmed.
Driving tests on automatic
cars will be introduced next year,
Traffic Culture Acting Director
in the General Directorate of
Traffic Major Osama Bahar
revealed to DT News.
Under the current traffic
rules, all students need to pass
the test on a manual car to
obtain driving licence. Speaking to DT News he said,
“Taking the test on an automatic
car will become optional soon.
It has not been decided when it
will be implemented.”
However, he said, instructors
would not be forced to buy new
automatic cars. “Instructors do
not need to buy new cars, they
Instructors do not have to buy
new cars. They can train the
students in the manual cars. The
change will be there only for the
test. There will be the option to
choose manual or automatic cars.
can train the students in the
manual cars. The change will
be there only for the test. There
will be the option to choose
manual or automatic cars. “
Major Bahar urged the
instructors to wait until the
officials announce all the details
before making decisions about
buying a car. Meanwhile,
driving
instructors expressed mixed
opinions
towards
the
announcement. Ahmed (last
name withheld upon request)
claims that this would improve
the students’ chances of passing
the driving test.
“Many of my students have
complained the uneasiness of
driving the manual car during
the driving test. Some of my
trainees who have fared well
during training failed in the
test because of nervousness. In
the automatic car they will be
much calmer because they do
not have to focus their attention
on the clutch at all, which is a
major change. “
Instructor Ali said, when
the decision is implemented
all the students would prefer
instructor with automatic cars.
“I think most students
would prefer to learn in
automatic cars. We instructors
would have to eventually buy
new automatic cars to meet
the demand. For me it’s very
sad, since I bought my car just
two years back.”
Learning it young
PIc by SaNThoSh RajeNDRaN
As the mercury level has gone down, it’s the perfect time for sporting activities. This child seems to be learning the
tricks of the game of volleyball as the grown-ups are busy vying for the ball at Andalus Garden in Guaibiya.
Shaikh Mohammed
Deputy
Premier to
patronise
Al Ayam
Cultural Fair
Manama
eputy Premier Shaikh
Mohammed
bin
Mubarak Al Khalifa will
patronise the 21st Al-Ayam
Cultural Fair, which will
kick-start on December 25.
More than 150 Arab and
foreign publishing houses
will take part in the fair,
which will run until January
3, 2015.
The
ten-day
cultural
book festival, organised
by Al Ayam Publishing at
the Bahrain International
Exhibition and Conventions
Centre, will include a string
of cultural events, and
programmes.
In a statement marking
the occasion, Al Ayam Board
Chairman Najeeb Alhamer
affirmed Shaikh Mohammed
bin Mubarak’s constant
support to Al Ayam Cultural
Festival, organised with the
aim of promoting culture and
books.
D
The tenday cultural
book festival,
organised by al
ayam Publishing
at the bahrain
International
exhibition and
conventions
centre, will
include a string
of cultural
events, and
programmes.
Woes go on
3
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Elayath Pragit
Parameswaran/ DTNN
[email protected]
E
ven after getting the
compensation amount
from the Bahrain Government,
the plight of Irfan Ahmed
Baksh Mohammed, the
muezzin, who had been
brutally attacked during the
2011 unrest, and his brother
Ghulam Nabi fails to fade
away.
The lawyer, who fought
the case on behalf of Mr.
Irfan, has now allegedly
started threatening Mr. Nabi,
demanding the payment of her
fees.
“We are really thankful to
our lawyer, who fought for us
and got us a favourable verdict
from the court. But currently,
she is threatening us saying,
we will not be able to leave the
nation without paying her the
fees,” said Mr. Nabi.
Earlier this month, the
High Civil Court had ordered
to deposit the amount –
Screenshot of a video made on Irfan. (In the picture) The destroyed house of Irfan.
BD60,000 – in Mr. Irfan’s
bank account in Pakistan.
However, the payment has
been stuck at Punjab Bank in
Pakistan as the amount has
been credited to the victim’s
account.
“As he cannot sign and get
the money from the bank,
the amount is stuck. We have
filed a case in Pakistan Session
Court to make me or our
mother as the guardian to use
the money. It will take at least
three months,” said Mr. Nabi
to DT News.
According to Mr. Nabi,
the lawyer is demanding as
much as 8 per cent of the
compensation
amount
(BD4800) as her fees.
He also added that they
were ready to pay the amount
once they get the money in
hand.
Meanwhile, talking to DT
News, the lawyer said, she had
signed a contract with Mr.
Irfan’s family and the demand
was as per the contract.
“I cannot disclose the fee
amount now,” she said.
The
victim’s
brother
said that he had signed few
documents, which were in
Arabic.
“The case was filed in 2011
but recently, she gave me
some documents and asked
me to sign on it. As I don’t
know Arabic, I blindly did
as per her instructions,” said
Mr. Nabi. Twenty-seven-year-old
Irfan had been badly assaulted
by anti-government thugs
during the series of violence
that broke out in 2011.
The anti-social elements
The lawyer, who
fought the case
on behalf of Irfan
Ahmed Baksh
Mohammed,
has now
allegedly started
threatening
Ghulam Nabi, Mr,
Irfan’s brother,
demanding the
payment of her
fees.
had also ripped off Mr. Irfan’s
tongue after the Isha prayer
(Adhan in Arabic) at Ali bin
Salman Al Khalifa mosque in
Manama.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Air
is demanding BD3000 for
taking Mr. Irfan back to
Pakistan. The flight will
comprise of a stretcher,
medical facilities, a doctor
and a nurse.
“We don’t have money
even to take him back to
Pakistan. How can we pay
the money for the lawyer
now?,” asks Mr. Nabi. Al Basta Market on
DT News Network
T
he third edition of
Al Basta Market,
organised by the
Southern Governorate,
kick-started yesterday.
The
market
is
being held under
the patronage of
Supreme
Council
for Youth and Sport
Chairman, Bahrain
Olympic Committee
President and Royal
Charity Organisation
Chairman HH Shaikh
Nasser bin Hamad Al
Khalifa.
It is the biggest annual
shopping festival in
Bahrain and the market
will be open to public
at Bahrain International
Circuit (BIC) on Fridays
and Saturdays from 2pm
to 9pm.
Over 75,000 visitors
and 700 participants are
expected to take part in
the market, which will
be on till March 28.
The market features
new sections including
an
aquarium,
an
additional children’s
corner,
a
green
industrial oasis and
handicrafts.
Great rates on worldwide money
transfers and 0% commission on
over 40 foreign currencies!
Visit your nearest branch today
/BFCBahrain
/BFCBahrain
Care. Trust. Efficiency.
BFC_379_BH_DT_AD_160mmX128mm.indd 1
05/06/2014 14:11
4
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Sexual abuse of minor girls
Defence lawyer’s
appeal rejecteD
DT News Network
[email protected]
T
he High Criminal Court
has rejected the request
of defence lawyer to hear the
testimony of two minor girls
reportedly suffered sexual
abuses in the hands of a
private teacher.
The latter was referred to
trial after the mothers of two
victims, both aged below 14,
filed a complaint against him
in the police station, alleging
that he had sexually assaulted
their children.
His lawyer during the court
The defendant was referred to
trial after the mothers of two
victims, both aged below 14, filed
a complaint against him in the
police station, alleging that he had
sexually assaulted their children
hearing requested to have
the testimony of the victims
before the High Criminal
Court, but judges declined it
owing to their ages.
As per the criminal record,
the children were receiving
private tuition from the
defendant’s wife, who is
also a private teacher. The
lessons were conducted at the
couple’s house, and due to the
wife occasional absence, the
husband reportedly conducted
the lessons.
“My child suddenly became
reluctant to receive private
lessons. I thought she was
developing laziness,” the
mother of the first victim told
prosecutors.
“I
was
mounting
pressure on her to go, but
then I began observing her
phone as I was curious about
her refusal,” she added.
“I found several voice
messages on her WhatsApp
she received from a friend
who was discussing the sexual
abuses they suffered at the
hands of their private teacher’s
husband. When I asked her,
she told me that sometimes
their female teacher would
not be at home, and husband
comes to teach them. But
he also indulged in immoral
activities,” the mother added.
The mother of the second
victim also levelled same
accusations against the
defendant. Judges have
adjourned the case until
January 20 to hear prosecution
witnesses. As per the
criminal record,
the children
were receiving
private tuition
from the
defendant’s
wife, who is
also a private
teacher.
couple’s sentence
upheld by court
DT News Network
[email protected]
A
n Asian couple convicted in
an embezzlement case saw
their one-year-sentence upheld by
the High Criminal Appeals Court.
The wife, aged 44, was
implicated of embezzling
BD36,000 from a local real estate
company over the period of
three years, while her husband
was found guilty of spending
part of the embezzled money
despite knowing that the money
was amassed illegally.
It was alleged that the first
defendant was in charge of
collecting leasing fees from
The first defendant was in charge
of collecting leasing fees from the
company’s clients. She was caught
following an audit report, which
showed misappropriation of revenues.
the company’s clients. She
was caught following an
audit report, which showed
misappropriation of revenues.
“I sent part of the money for
family abroad, and another part
of it to my husband who owns
a printing company, which
caused financial problems
to him,” the woman told
prosecutors. Her husband,
50, confirmed spending the
money as he was in dire need
of cash. Judges also ordered
for their deportation once they
complete their jail terms.
Convict loses appeal
DT News Network
[email protected]
A
man serving six months in jail
for beating his mother and
sister has lost his appeal before the
High Criminal Appeals Court.
The defendant was nabbed after
his mother reported his crime to
the police station. The 24-year-old
Bahraini had initially attacked his
sister, alleging that she was having
an affair with a boy.
“I received a phone call from
a stranger who claimed that he
was talking over the phone with
my sister. I lost my temper and
I headed home and assaulted
her (the sister),” he said in
his statement to the public
prosecution.
His mother alleged that her
son had physically attacked her
when she came to the rescue of
her daughter and threatened them
with a knife. But the defendant
refuted mother’s claims.
“I stabbed myself with the knife
and I didn’t point it at anybody,”
he added. According to court files,
the man was previously convicted
in connection with drug crimes. The 24-yearold Bahraini
had initially
attacked his
sister, alleging
that she was
having an
affair with a
boy.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
5
BSPCA StePS in
Torturing monkeys
Elayath Pragit
Parameswaran/ DTNN
[email protected]
B
ahrain Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (BSPCA) has
filed two complaints at two
different police stations with
regard to the cruelty meted out
to monkeys in the Kingdom
during the last two days.
Earlier DT News reported
that a long-tailed macaque
was spotted on the roof of
a Mercedes car, which was
speeding at more than 100
Kilometres per hour in
Salmabad.
According to a witness, the
animal was tied to a rope and
BSPCA has taken the torture of monkeys in the Kingdom seriously.
was thrown from one part to
other on the roof, while the
car was moving.
The very next day, another
person posted a similar
picture on a Facebook page,
showing the animal tied to
another car in Burhama.
According to a statement
from BSPCA, the organisation
has filed complaints with
regard to both the incidents. Meanwhile, the members
of BSPCA group on the
Facebook are also planning
to submit a signature petition
to the authorities concerned
to curb such inhumane
practices.
“Such
instances
are
increasing in alarming rates in
According to
a statement
from BSPCA, the
organisation
has filed
complaints with
regard to both
the incidents. the Kingdom. The authorities
should take immediate steps to
curb the sale of exotic animals
in Bahrain,” said an animal
lover.
Attack on schools continues in Bahrain
Manama
ducation Ministry stated yesterday that five schools were
attacked in different parts of the country during the past
few days.
The ministry’s Public Relations and Media Directorate stated
that vandals broke into Al Qadisiya Elementary Girls’ School,
damaging the school’s sports warehouse.
The directorate also said that Sakeena bint Al Hussain
Elementary Girls’ School, Al Dair Elementary Boys’ School
and Al Safa Elementary Girls’ School were targeted by
the vandals who threw stones and petrol bombs at them,
damaging several properties.
“A group of outlaws set a fire near Al Mutanabi Elementary
Boys’ School,” said the ministry, adding that all incidents
were reported to the security authorities.
E
Schools have been the regular targets of vandals in the Kingdom.
CPiSP was the brainchild of Crown Prince
I
was embarrassed by the
article titled ‘CPISP:
Brainchild of Ronald Koller’
published in Daily Tribune
yesterday.
The
Crown
Prince
International Scholarship
Programme (CPISP) had
been initiated by Crown
Prince, Deputy Supreme
Commander and First
Deputy Prime Minister HRH
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa and the credit should
entirely go to the Crown
Prince.
“I was just employed by
the Crown Prince to develop
the programme in line with
his idea to educate future
leaders of Bahrain.”
- Dr Ronald Koller
Former Director, CPISP
DT News Network
[email protected]
T
he High Appeals Court has
upheld the six-month-jail
sentence awarded to a Bahraini
convicted of theft.
The 28-year-old Bahraini
was arrested in connection
with a theft of an iPhone from
a local cell phones shop.
Court upholds jail sentence
He allegedly entered the shop
and stole an iPhone, which was
given to him for checking.
He reportedly disappeared
from the shop, using a car he
had borrowed from a friend.
However, his identity came to
light after the manager of the
shop noted the registration
number of the vehicle. Later
the car owner confirmed that
it was the defendant who was
using it at the time of theft,
court files stated.
The claims were also
supported by a video footage
taken from surveillance
cameras installed on the spot.
Codes that
proteCt kids
6
DT News Network
A
stranger approached an
eight-year-old girl and
asked her join him. He tried
to lure her by telling that her
mom had sent him to pick
her. But the girl asked the
stranger for the secret word.
The man was puzzled after
hearing her question. The
girl ran away immediately.
The girl and her mom had
already agreed on a secret
word to use for such cases.
The secret word came to the
rescue of the girl this time.
Many parents are using
such code words to save their
kids from strangers. Rawia
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Isehaq, the grandmother said
that she used to teach her
only daughter Maria not to
walk with a stranger without
verifying his/her identity.
“My idea was to let Maria
ask the strangers whether
they knew her mother’s
full name. 30 years ago, the
situation was not so secured.
Even now also the situation
is equally challenging. Every
morning I call my daughter
to make sure that Leena, my
granddaughter remembers
the safe word,” she said.
Seven-year-old daughter Leena
added that her mother and she
made an agreement to change
the password every day and pick
a word or phrase from her daily
dictation.
Maria, the homemaker said
that she got the idea of secret
question from her mother.
Her seven-year-old daughter
Leena added that her mother
and she made an agreement
to change the password every
day and pick a word or phrase
from her daily dictation. “It
was hard for me to memorise
things other than songs and
dictations learnt from school.
Therefore, we picked this
idea,” she said.
Teenager, Farah Murad
said that she always forgot
the code word. “When I was a
little girl my parents told me
about the code word. But it
never worked for me. I used
Mother Maria with her daughter leena
to forget it every time, but
I still learnt that it was not
safe to walk with a stranger,”
she added.
Though code words are
highly useful, not everyone
is fond of them. Huda
Ahmed stated that she never
recommended passwords
since there are ‘professional
hackers’ around us. “I think a
cunning person could easily
persuade to walk with him. I
can only advise the children
not to walk alone, they
should always be supervised
by the security personnel in
their schools,” she added.
‘Designer needs to be upfront’
According to Mr. Zammit, the designed pieces are usually special and expensive when they are rare
“A designer
needs to apply
research, history
and experience
in order to bring
about a change.
Design is not a
political tool; it
is a functional
tool for the economic society”
Fatima Bastaki/DTNN
[email protected]
F
ollowing the success of last year’s
Bahrain International Design Week,
Fair Director at Design Days Dubai,
Cyril Zammit has visited the art venue,
‘Market 338’ at Al Riwaq Gallery.
Mr. Zammit is also representing the
Design Stories movement, which is a
regional road show supported by Dubai
Design District to raise awareness on the
field of design.
Speaking to DT News, he said that
being part of the active market in
design, one needs to be more upfront
in the scene. “It is about looking at
material, prototype and technique of
the design in order to translate it into
value,” he said.
Meanwhile, he added that
before becoming integral
part of the art world, a design
piece has to be essentially
functional. “Pragmatism
of design has nothing to do
with the artist and his blank
canvas,” he added.
According to him, today’s world has
the benefit of internet platforms, which
allow amateur and underrated designers
to promote themselves. “It has become
more democratised in its procedures
compared to the past. But it also faces
the problem of duplication of your
work,” he opined.
“In the past, you needed to go
through an agent and gallery to
promote your work, but now you can
be supported through an actor of the
Pics by MuhaMed ThasleeM
market easily. In order to
avoid the consequences
of duplication, proper
documentation of your work
is essential,” Mr. Zammit
suggested.
He
explained
that the designed
pieces are usually special and
expensive when they are rare
and not produced by the
industry in a large scale.
“A designer needs to
apply research, history and
experience in order to
bring about a change.
Design is not a political
tool; it is a functional tool
for the economic society,”
he concluded.
Mr. Zammit
MIDDLE EAST 7
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Experience has taught
us this, and everyone
should assume their
responsibilities to get
the market back in balance
– UAE Minister of Energy
Suhail bin Mohammad
Faraj Faris Al Mazroui
The draft that will
be presented to the
Security Council is the
French draft based on
Palestinian observations
and decisions
- Palestinian Foreign
Minister Riyad Al-Maliki
Today we witnessed a
series of examples of
European naivety, and
may I add, hypocrisy (on
the Palestinian issue)
- Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
TURKEY, QATAR
TO FORGE TIES
The two countries signed a series of agreements in a step to deepen their relations Rocket fired
Ankara
atar’s Emir, Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani arrived in Turkey’s
capital Ankara to hold talks
with President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan.
Qatar and Turkey, whose
bilateral
and
regional
cooperation has become
remarkably more visible
in recent years, have taken
yet another assertive step
to deepen their relations,
signing a series of agreements
in Ankara, including a
joint
memorandum
to
found a “Supreme Strategic
Committee.”
Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking
at a joint press conference
on December 19 following
Q
“Turkey and
Qatar have
never drifted
apart. We’ve
always been
together”
Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa alThani (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, walk past
a guard of honour during an official welcoming ceremony prior
to their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on
Friday. (AFP)
IS threatens to execute
soldiers held hostage
Beirut
French-speaking jihadist
threatened on Friday to
execute Lebanese soldiers held
hostage by the Islamic State
group, saying three prominent
anti-IS Lebanese politicians
would be responsible for their
deaths.
The threat was made in a
video obtained from a Salafist
cleric, Wissam al-Masri, who
is mediating the release of 25
police and soldiers held by
IS and the Syrian branch of
Al-Qaeda, the Al-Nusra Front.
Four hostages have already
been executed. The video,
filmed in a field with hills in the
background, shows three men
in blue uniforms, each kneeling
in front of a fighter holding a
knife to his throat.
The unidentified speaker,
was wearing a hood and his
companions’ faces were
A
uncovered. From his speech, it
was not possible to determine
if he was from Lebanon, where
French is widely spoken.
The speaker attacked the
politicians for what he said
is their support for Lebanese
Shiite movement Hezbollah,
whose fighters are aiding Syrian
President Bashar Assad in the
civil war against largely Sunni
Muslim rebels that include IS.
“To the allies of France in
Lebanon, Hariri, Geagea and
Jumblatt, the Islamic State is
at war with Hezbollah, which
is meddling in the affairs of
Muslims in Shams (Syria) and
has killed our women and our
children,” he said referring to
Sunni former prime minister
Saad
Hariri,
right-wing
Christian leader Samir Geagea
and Walid Jumblatt, chief
of the Druze community in
Lebanon.
talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,
who was paying a working
visit to Ankara, underlined
the “positive steps” taken
between the two during
his term in office as prime
minister and as president.
“Turkey and Qatar have
never drifted apart. We have
always been together, we have
always been in solidarity and
we have always designated
standing by the oppressed
people of the world as our
common denominator,” said
Erdoğan.
The host president said
the two discussed affairs
surrounding Iraq, Syria,
Palestine, Libya, Tunisia and
Cyprus, vowing that their
bilateral endeavors regarding
these affairs would “continue
with determination.”
Ahead of the press
conference, in the presence
of the emir and the president,
Turkish Defense Minister
İsmet Yılmaz and Qatari
Defense Minister Maj.-Gen.
Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah
signed an agreement on
military cooperation.
from Gaza
hit south
Israel: Police
Jerusalem
rocket fired from Gaza
hit southern Israel on
Friday, the Israeli police
said, adding that it fell on
open ground without causing
casualties or damage. It was
the third rocket attack since
the end of 50-day Gaza War
in August. The last incident
was on October 31.
Hamas and Israel agreed
a ceasefire on August 26,
brokered by Egypt, ending
50 days of war which
resulted in the deaths of
2,140 Palestinians and 73
Israelis, most of them from
the army.
The Islamist movement
Hamas, which de facto rules
the Gaza Strip and is fighting
Israel, had on Sunday held
a military parade, during
which it displayed rocket
and mortar launchers.
Sporadic rocket fire from
the Gaza Strip is usually
claimed by smaller militant
factions rather than Hamas.
Cairo talks between Israel
and Hamas to cement the
fragile truce, due to be held
last month, were called off by
Egypt.
A
Malnutrition hits Yemeni children
Milah
emen — A doctor in
a bare, rural clinic
here decided to extend his
working week to five days
from two, to cope with the
rush of hollow-eyed children
who kept showing up in the
mornings.
Already this year, two
severely malnourished local
boys had been so withered
that they were beyond
saving. The doctor, Abdu
Ali Saad, kept pictures of
the boys, ages 2 and 4, on
his phone: a reminder of Huda bin Nasser with her daughter, Hadiya, at their home in the
the dangers facing children village of Sheikhain, Yemen. All four of Ms. bin Nasser’s children
in Yemen’s long-neglected were malnourished; Hadiya improved after treatment. (AFP)
countryside, more forsaken
these days than ever.
day, some who had walked their children.
“This is every day,” Dr. hours on dusty roads to
Yemen is the most
Saad said, motioning to the reach the clinic, and who impoverished country in the
parents waiting on a recent looked hardly better off than Middle East, and among its
Y
grim distinctions is having
one of the highest rates of
child malnutrition in the
world.
Political turmoil since the
2011 uprising against former
President Ali Abdullah
Saleh has left an already
feeble government even less
able to care for its indigent
citizens. Chronic challenges
have become emergencies
as the state’s presence in
much of Yemen has started
to dissolve.
One million children
younger than 5, roughly
a third of the age group in
Yemen, are suffering from lifethreatening malnourishment,
according to Daniela D’urso,
the head of the European
Commission’s humanitarian
aid office in Yemen (NYT).
8
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Speak
a
“
SCW takes
part in conference
on
women’s role in
charity work
“
@bna_en
FBI formally
accuses
North Korea of
hacking of Sony
Pictures, says it is ‘deeply
concerned’
“
@AP
Pakistan to
challenge
bail for Mumbai
attacks ‘mastermind’
“
@AFP
George
Clooney created a petition
in support of
Sony, but he couldn’t get
anyone to sign it
“
@CNN
Pakistan kills
59 alleged
militants
in
wake of school
massacre
“
@NBCNews
Today
is
the
5th
anniversary of
the theatrical
release of James
Cameron’s “Avatar”
“
@Forbes
“
@TelegraphNews
Apple goes
to war with
the BBC over
Panorama
report
Instagram
could
be
worth $35 billion
“
@TIME
This is the
computer
game
maker
who outbid Jay Z
and Beyonce to
buy a $70million
“
@SkyNews
IS siege that
trapped
thousands of
civilians on a
mountain for four months
smashed by troops
TheSunNewspaper
“
Devon Smith
waited threeand-a-half years for
a Test comeback.
@ESPNcricinfo
Thinking
Readers’ VIEW
green
Health effects of UV radiation
Rehan Ahmed
Small amounts of UV
are beneficial for people
and essential in the
production of vitamin D.
UV radiation is also used
to treat several diseases,
including
rickets,
psoriasis, eczema and
jaundice. This takes place
under medical supervision
and the benefits of
treatment versus the risks of
UV radiation exposure are a
matter of clinical judgement.
Prolonged human exposure
to solar UV radiation may
result in acute and chronic
health effects on the skin, eye
and immune system. Sunburn
(erythema) is the best-known
acute effect of excessive UV
radiation exposure.
Over the longer term,
UV
radiation
induces
degenerative changes in cells
of the skin, fibrous tissue
and blood vessels leading
to premature skin aging,
photodermatoses and actinic
keratoses. Another long-term
effect is an inflammatory
reaction of the eye. In the most
serious cases, skin cancer and
cataracts can occur.
Between two and three
million non-melanoma
skin cancers, e.g. basal cell
carcinomas and squamous
cell carcinomas, are diagnosed
each year, but are rarely
fatal and can be surgically
removed.
Approximately
130,000
malignant melanomas occur
globally
each
year,
substantially contributing to
mortality rates in fair-skinned
populations. An estimated
66,000 deaths occur annually
from melanoma and other
skin cancers.
Worldwide some 12 to 15
million people become blind
from cataracts annually, of
which up to 20 per cent may
be caused or enhanced by sun
exposure according to WHO
estimates.
Furthermore, a growing body
Do you feel strongly
about
commenting
on any issue of social
relevance or on any
report we carried? Be it
bouquets or bricks, you
can explore this space by
airing your views, opinions or comments.
The best letter, selected once in a week, will
receive five tickets for watching a blockbuster
at Dana Cinema. Letters can be sent at
letters @dt.bh
of evidence suggests
that
environmental
levels of UV radiation
may
suppress cellmediated immunity and
thereby enhance the risk
of infectious diseases
and limit the efficacy of
vaccinations. Both of these
act against the health
of poor and vulnerable
groups, especially children
of the developing world.
Many developing countries
are located close to the
equator and hence, people
are exposed to the very high
levels of UV radiation that
occur in these regions.
It is a popular misconception
that only fairskinned people
need to be concerned
about overexposure to
the sun. Darker skin has
more protective melanin
pigment, and the incidence
of skin cancer is lower in
dark-skinned
people.
Nevertheless, skin cancers
do occur with this group
and unfortunately they are
often detected at a later,
more dangerous stage. The
risk of UV radiation-related
health effects on the eye
and immune system is
independent of skin type.
Global burden of disease
assessment
WHO has now published
the report entitled “Global
burden of disease from solar
ultraviolet radiation” that
provides detailed estimates
of UV-associated disease
burden worldwide. Using
established methodology
and best available estimates
on UV-related mortality
and morbidity, this report
estimates that annually
around 1.5 mill DALYs
(Disability-adjusted life years)
are lost through excessive UV
exposure. The report gives
region, age and sex-specific
estimates and includes
detailed
methodological
considerations.
A
counterfactual
zero
population exposure to UV
would generate a substantial
burden of disease through
diseases of vitamin D
deficiency. This, however, is
only a theoretical possibility
since the large majority of
people is casually exposed
to UV radiation such that
extremely low Vitamin D
levels are rarely found.
Abdullah
Natural ventilation
N
atural ventilation is a method of allowing fresh outdoor
air into indoor living spaces by natural means without the
use of air conditioning units and other types of mechanically
driven devices. It is the process of changing or replacing stale
or noxious air with fresh air in any space to provide high
indoor air quality to control temperature, replenish oxygen,
remove moisture, odors, smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria
and carbon dioxide.
Ventilation is important as it reduces unhealthy air
pollutants, such as formaldehyde and radon. It reduces
excessive moisture and humidity levels, which can lead to
mold growth and can cause structural damage. Ventilation
reduces naturally occurring odors in the house from pets,
cooking, smoking, and other everyday living activities.
While buying or moving to a dwelling, we often consider
factors like exterior and interior of building, paint, space,
location, building finishes, tiles, ceramics, bath room and
electrical fittings etc., but we never ponder on the ventilation
aspect. Perhaps this is due to having air conditioners in almost
all buildings of the country.
Ventilation is provided through openings such as windows,
ventilators and doors. Because of central cooling systems, most
people don’t open windows and doors as often. Therefore,
air conditioning has become the only principal mode of
ventilation in urban surroundings.
A home’s natural ventilation rate is unpredictable and
uncontrollable due to the openings, depending on dwelling
location, size and number of openings in wind direction. Thus,
one cannot rely on natural wind only to ventilate a house
uniformly.
Ventilation is needed for removing water vapor produced
by respiration, burning, and cooking, and for removing odors.
If water vapor is permitted to accumulate, it may damage the
structure, insulation, or finishes. In the absence of adequate
ventilation, irritating or harmful contaminants can build up,
causing occupant discomfort, health problems and reduced
performance levels.
Harmful pollutants from a variety of sources can contribute
to building-related illnesses. Ventilation systems that are
improperly operated or maintained can contribute to sick
building syndrome (SBS) which may cause symptoms like dry
mucous membranes, eyes, nose and throat irritation. These
disorders lead to increased occupant sickness and reduced
work efficiency.
The advantages of natural ventilation are many and can have
a tremendous positive impact on its occupants, building and the
environment.
It is suggested that natural ventilation is to be used on optimum
basis keeping following aspects in mind:
i. Use fans at appropriate locations to blow air from the cool
side of the dwelling to the hotter side.
ii. Don’t keep your windows closed. Do occasional air wash
of your dwelling. Open windows for durations, depending on
the sunlight and its intensity. Cross ventilation in a dwelling will
enhance air quality and will avoid it to become a sick building.
iii. Provide fountains, pools or swimming pools outside the
dwelling which can act as transition spaces where air is naturally
cooled before passing through interiors.
A proper design, operation and maintenance of the ventilation
system is essential in providing indoor air that is free of harmful
concentrations of pollutants. Improvements in indoor ventilation
may substantially increase an individual’s health, moral and
productivity.
* Head, Waste Disposal Unit, Supreme Council for
Environment, Bahrain (Email: [email protected])
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of
the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of
this newspaper.)
MIDDLE EAST 9
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Camels head for Al Dhafra fest
Abu Dhabi
he Western Region
highway has been busy
with trucks arriving from the
Arabian Gulf, bringing in
some of the most beautiful and
valuable camels to compete at
this year’s Al Dhafra Camel
Festival.
Taking place in Madinat
Zayed from December 20
T
Turkish court acquits
dissident sociologist
Ankara
A Turkish court on Friday
acquitted Turkish dissident
sociologist Pinar Selek, who
has taken refuge in France,
over a 1998 explosion that
killed seven people, the official Anatolia news agency
reported.
The ruling, delivered by a high
criminal court in Istanbul -came at a hearing on Selek’s
retrial, after a life sentence
for her alleged involvement
in the deadly explosion was
overturned this year, according to Anatolia.
The 43-year-old Selek, known
for her critical studies of the
Kurdish conflict in Turkey and
her work with street children,
was accused of bombing a
spice market popular among
tourists in Istanbul.
Selek, then 27, was arrested and jailed on charges of
involvement in the explosion
after she refused to give police
the names of rebels she had
met during her research.
“After 16 years of judicial obstinacy, today’s trial
allowed Pinar Selek’s lawyers to emphasise all day the
absurdity and arbitrariness of
the procedure,” her supporters said in a statement from
France.
Selek was freed in 2000 after
the publication of a report
blaming the explosion on a
gas leak. The latest verdict
marked her fourth acquittal
by Turkish courts.
‘Legalise cannabis cultivation’
Beirut
griculture
Minister
Akram Chehayeb called
for the legalisation of cannabis
farming to allow the state to
benefit from the revenue of its
export on Friday.
“We are conducting
studies on [how to] organise
this type of agriculture so
that it becomes monitored
A
to January 1, the annual
festival of Bedouin traditions
is expected to be bigger and
more eventful than ever.
Saudi cleric gets death threats
Riyadh
Saudi cleric has received
death threats and is
facing a lawsuit following
an appearance on national
television with his wife, who
had her face uncovered and
was wearing make-up.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ghamedi
told a popular chat show that
Islam does not require women
A
by the state, and thus the
state can buy the harvest and
export it to the countries that
need it,” said Chehayeb.
MASS TRIALS
CONCERN US
Obama emphasized need of cooperation between the 2 countries
Washington
S
President
Barack
Obama spoke to his
Egyptian counterpart Abdel
Fattah Al-Sisi on Thursday
and expressed concern over
mass trials and the continued
detention of journalists and
peaceful activists.
During a telephone call,
the White House said, Obama
encouraged Sisi to “invest
in the political, economic,
and social aspirations of the
Egyptian people.” “President Obama also
expressed concern about mass
trials, the status of NGOs, and
the continued imprisonment
of journalists and peaceful
activists in Egypt,” the
statement said.
In early December, an
Egyptian court sentenced 188
people to death for the murder of
13 police officers, the latest in a
series of mass trials launched by
U
During a telephone call, the
White House said, Obama
encouraged Sisi to “invest in the
political, economic, and social
aspirations of the Egyptian
people”
authorities amid a crackdown on
supporters of ousted president
Mohamed Morsi. Hundreds
of Morsi supporters have been
sentenced to die in swift trials
the United Nations has called
“unprecedented in recent
history.”
Egypt has also cracked
down on the press, sentencing
several journalists including
three from international news
network Al-Jazeera to lengthy
prison terms.
In June, Australian Peter
Greste, Egyptian-Canadian
Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and
Egyptian Mohamed Baher
were convicted of supporting
the
blacklisted
Muslim
Brotherhood.
Since the fall of Hosni
Mubarak in 2011, the United
States has faced a dilemma in
Egypt.
Washington
regularly
expresses dissatisfaction over
the country’s poor human
rights record, but also relies
on its military alliance as a
centerpiece of American
diplomacy in the Arab world.
During Thursday’s telephone
call, Obama emphasized the
importance of cooperation
between Washington and Cairo
“to promote shared interests in
counterterrorism and regional
security.” (AFP)
to hide their faces behind a
niqab in public. The cleric
said wearing make-up is also
allowed to Muslim women.
Qaeda in Syria seizes tanks,
APCs from army
Beirut
Al-Qaeda fighters in Syria
seized dozens of tanks and
armoured personnel carriers
from the army when they took
two regime bases this week, a
monitor said on Friday.
Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s
Syria branch, captured the
Wadi Al-Deif and Hamidiyeh
military posts in the northwestern province of Idlib
on Monday, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights
said.
The Britain-based group,
which relies on a network of
sources on the ground, had
said in an earlier report that
nearly 200 combatants on
both sides were killed in a
24-hour battle for the bases.
UAE pledges US$1 million
to UN
Abu Dhabi
The UAE pledged US$1 million (Dh3.67m) on Wednesday
night for the United Nations’
Central Emergency Response
Fund (Cerf).
Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the
UAE’s permanent representative to the UN, announced the
contribution at a conference at
the UN headquarters in New
York, the state news agency
Wam reported.
The pledge is a significant
increase from last year’s contribution of $100,000, according
to statistics on Cerf’s website.
Iran unveils memorial for slain Jewish heroes
Tehran
T
ehran has unveiled a
monument to slain
Iranian Jewish soldiers who
died during the country’s
long and bitter war with Iraq
between 1980 and 1988. Death
tolls for the hideous conflict
differ, but casualty counts
usually reach more than 1
million for both countries.
A public ceremony marked
the memorial’s opening, with
speeches that took place at a
dais flanked by the Iranian
flag and a menorah. Banners
showed the images of fallen
soldiers, hailed as “martyrs” in
Farsi and Hebrew inscriptions.
The commemoration may
surprise those who think of
the Islamic Republic’s routine,
angry rhetoric directed toward
Israel, a “Zionist regime” the
mullahs in Tehran refuse to
recognize. But after Israel,
Iran has the Middle East’s
second-largest community
of Jews -- with its current
population estimated between
20,000 and 30,000.
(Many more live in other
countries such as the United
States and Israel, where a
former president, Moshe
Katsav, was born in Iran.)
The Iranian government
points to the continued
population of Iranian Jews in
the country as a sign of Iran’s
diverse traditions and the
government’s own respect for
the country’s rich history. The
Old Testament Book of Esther
is based in ancient Persia
and is the foundation for the
Jewish festival of Purim.
At the ceremony on
Monday,
Mohammad
Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard, the
vice-speaker of the Iranian
parliament, made these
somewhat underwhelming
remarks: “The explicit stances
of the Jewish community
in supporting the Islamic
Republic’s
establishment
and their obedience to the
Supreme Leader of the
Revolution
demonstrate
the bonds originating from
the teachings of the divine
religions.”
He went on to denounce
the “violent and inhumane”
behaviour of Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Washington Post)
SAVED BY
LAND MINES
10
Saturday, December 20, 2014
For Leopards in Iran,
Iraq, land mines are a
surprising refuge
Peter
Schwartzstein
Tehran
F
ew parts of the
world look more
hostile to big cats than
the rugged wilderness
that flanks the northern
Iran-Iraq frontier.
Laced with land mines and
roamed by packs of dedicated
poachers, it’s an environment
seemingly calculated to imperil
even the most fleet-footed
animal. Yet this is the place
the world’s largest leopard calls
home.
Once spread across the
Caucasus region, Persian
leopards now are relegated to
this former war zone, along
with a few isolated pockets
of rural Iran. Here, hundreds
of thousands of Iranian and
Iraqi soldiers bludgeoned one
another to death in some of the
late 20th century’s most brutal
battles. Even today, border
guards patrol the once fiercely
contested high ground.
But through it all the leopard
has endured, and oddly
enough, the region’s violent
past has contributed to its
survival. As part of the decadelong conflict, Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein and his
Iranian counterparts planted
an estimated 20 million to
30 million land mines in the
1980s. Two decades after the
last of the big minefields were
laid, the explosives continue to
maim and kill local residents.
But the mines also have
become
accidental
protection
for
the leopards,
discouraging
poachers
from
entering certain areas.
And now interest in clearing
the land mines throws into
sharp relief the
conflict
between
human and wildlife
interests. Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan
region is developing swiftly,
and along with that comes hot
pursuit of oil and gas deposits—
many of which lie in leopardheavy highlands—to fuel its
likely bid for independence.
Conservation efforts have
struggled to gain traction in
large swaths of the Middle East.
As in many developing regions,
the welfare of the environment
is a distant consideration amid
economic peril and political
flux. But the emergence of the
Islamic State jihadist group,
which now controls swathes
of Syria and Iraq and which
was recently camped on Iran’s
doorstep, has pushed the plight
of the Persian leopard even
further from local decisionmakers’ thoughts.
That’s why the region’s
conservationists now find
themselves in the not-socomfortable position of
opposing some land-mine
clearance efforts. Clearing
the way for people to
return to those areas could
put the leopards back at
humans’ mercy, they say.
“Environmentally speaking,
mines are great, because
they keep people out,” said
Azzam Alwash, head of the
conservation group Nature
Iraq.
Ahmed Kurdi holds court
in his brother’s roadside
restaurant outside
t h e
the dominant local political
party, and then fenced off
and zoned for construction.
Some Iraqis don’t even wait
for the “all clear” before
traipsing through mineridden terrain.
“Every day we have to stop
operations because people
are driving animals through
the minefields,” said Chris
Bull, a project manager at
Sterling Global Operations,
which, like most mine
clearance organizations in
Iraqi Kurdistan, is funded
by international energy
companies pursuing new oil
and gas reserves.
In the late 1980s, the
Iraqi government
accelerated
i t s
Iraqi
Kurdish
city
of
Sulaymaniyah.
His squat build
and soft hands seem illsuited to making stiff climbs
in the Zagros Mountains,
but Kurdi is an experienced
marksman who is keen to tell
stories of hunting leopards.
“My cousin and I were
hunting goats near his village
in Iran when we saw this big
animal moving slowly high
up on the rocks,” Kurdi
said, mimicking his shooting
motion. “It was a long way
away, but it was a challenge
that I couldn’t resist.”
The market for leopard
pelts has mostly dried up, but
there’s still a certain cachet
associated with ensnaring
such an exotic creature. As
a result, the harsh penalties
attached to killing leopards
haven’t done much to
dissuade determined trophy
hunters.
The land mines, though, do
a good job of keeping people
off certain peaks, and these
have become the leopards’
favorite
haunts.
“A lot
of the
animals now
stay up in the
high mountains
where all the land
mines are. We can’t
really go there, so we can’t
really hunt,” Kurdi said in
explaining
his reluctant
decision to hang up
his rifle.
Not that leopards are
entirely immune themselves to
the hazards of land mines.
They’re nimble, spend
much of their time in trees
or on rocks, and are light
enough when their weight
is spread over four legs not
to trigger anti-tank mines,
which typically are activated
by payloads of more than 176
pounds (80 kilograms).
But at least two are
thought to have been killed
by triggering the prongs
and tripwires of the region’s
ubiquitous Italian-made V69
antipersonnel mines. A video
has also surfaced in which a
leopard appears to have bled
to death after losing a leg while
navigating an explosive-laden
mountain pass.
It might seem extraordinary
that deadly devices have
contributed to the Persian
leopard’s continued presence
in the Zagros Mountains, but
the prospects of the region’s
animal life have always been
intimately wrapped up with the
fortunes of the local people.
Hunters aside, Alwash fears
the swift degradation of the
leopards’ habitats if mine
removal frees up land for
development
around
Sulaymaniyah and other small
cities—which continue to
expand, suggesting his worries
are well-founded.
A mountain that was
de-mined near Iraq’s Lake
Dukan a few years ago was
promptly appropriated by the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan,
eventual destruction of
over 4,000 Kurdish villages
in northern Iraq. In doing
so,
Saddam
Hussein
inadvertently boosted the
animal population by reducing
the number of people living in
the mountains and warding off
resident hunters.
(National Geographic)
Saturday, December 20, 2014
BUSINESS
11
CURRENCIES
CurrenCies
sell Cash
Dollar
2.6483
euro
2.1268
Pound
1.6689
saudi riyal
9.9384
Yen
299.4012
indian rupee 161.8123
EF TI
sell Draft
GOlD
2.6455
2.1381
1.6793
9.9354
305.8104
164.2036
Bahrain
london
us
PROTEST AGAINST
AUSTERITY MOVES
Anti-austerity, free trade protest snarls Brussels EU quarter
Brussels
everal thousand people
demonstrated
against
austerity and a massive EUUS free trade deal in central
Brussels yesterday, burning
an effigy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel near the
European Commission headquarters. The protest, bringing together farmers on their
tractors, trade unionists and
environmentalists, was meant
to coincide with the second
day of a European Union leaders summit but that wrapped
up late Thursday instead. On
a normally busy road junction
next to the European Commission’s imposing headquarters
building, the demonstrators
burned an effigy of Merkel
watched over by a heavy police
contingent, AFP reported.
Merkel is seen as the main
driver behind austerity policies
in EU countries that cut social
welfare programmes in a bid
to reduce government debt.
Police cordoned off the whole
EU quarter in the Schuman
district of Brussels, causing
early morning chaos in one of
the city’s busiest areas.”Merry
Christmas and Happy Auster-
S
ity” read one banner the protestors put up outside the new
European Council building.
Police put the number of demonstrators at around 2,500 but
the protesters themselves said
they numbered around 3,500,
including farmers bringing in
about 30 tractors before they
set off across the city. “We’re
against austerity, we’re against
TTIP,” Rudy Janssens, a senior
official with the Belgian socialist union CGSP, told AFP.
Oil
london
us
$59.27
$54.11
Falling gasoline
prices curb
inflation
Ottawa
lummeting gasoline prices helped keep inflation
in check for November, Canada’s statistical agency said
yesterday. Canadians paid
2.0 percent more for goods
and services in November
than a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada.But
the inflation figure is down
from 2.4 percent in October -- attributable almost
entirely to gasoline prices
falling 5.9 percent to their
lowest level since February
2011, the agency said. Prices
of electricity, meat, natural
gas, passenger vehicles and
restaurant meals, meanwhile,
increased.
P
Atos shares
soar after Xerox
acquisition
ttiP is presented
as a major
economic boost.
Washington and Brussels
aim to seal their Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Partnership by end-2015, creating
what would be the world’s largest free trade deal. EU leaders
reaffirmed that target at the
summit. TTIP is presented as
a major economic boost but
many in Europe fear it will undermine standards on food and
consumer safeguards, while
BD153.00
$1,197.24
$1,197.72
Paris
hares in French tech firm
Atos soared nearly five
percent yesterday as traders cheered the news it had
bought the IT wing of Xerox
for more than $1 billion. Atos
stock was trading 4.9 percent
higher on the main French
CAC-40 index at the midpoint of the session. Chief executive -- and former French
finance minister -- Thierry
Breton said the $1.05-billion
deal, equivalent to 855 million euros, would give Atos
access to the huge US market.
Nathalie de Medina, analyst
at Oddo Securities, said that
Atos had got a “good price”
for the deal, “better than for
similar deals in the past.”
“It also makes a lot of sense
from a strategic point of view
by growing their market in
the United States which is becoming their biggest market,”
she added. Analysts at Aurel
BGC said in a note to clients
that Atos had “tripled its size
in the United States” with the
deal. The deal is expected to
be finalised in the first half
of 2015 and follows a similar
move for French group Bull,
the long troubled computer
company that was once the
pride of France’s technology
sector.
S
Belgian police stand next to an effigy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel as demonstrators burn bales
of hay in Brussels yesterday.
giving US businesses too much
leeway to challenge EU governments to the disadvantage
of their citizens. Janssens said
his union is fighting a trade
deal that “will harm the social
system in Belgium and Europe,” one that has taken generations to build and includes
government-funded medical
care. “When we receive medical care, we’re a patient, not a
customer,” he said, charging
that TTIP will turn people into
“merchandise.”(AFP)
Fosun ups offer in Club Med bidding war
ther dragging out the process
which has already lasted more
than 18 months, the longest
takeover battle ever on the Paris
stock market.
Fosun had made its latest offer just ahead of a deadline at
Friday’s market close. Bonomi
now has until January 7 to respond. Club Med first became
a top name in the European
tourism industry for its all-inclusive budget family villages.
It has since moved up-market,
weathering financial storms in
the process, and is now looking
for further expansion, including in China where it has been
a partner with Fosun. Accord-
Paris
C
hinese conglomerate Fosun raised its offer to buy
French holiday group Club
Med yesterday, as it strives to
win the longest bidding war
in Paris market history against
an Italian tycoon. Fosun bid
24.60 euros ($30.20) per share
for Club Med, which values
the iconic holiday brand at 939
million euros and trumps a previous bid from Italian businessman Andrea Bonomi’s Global
Resorts. Bonomi’s offer valued
the group at 915 million euros.
The Italian will now have an opportunity to raise his offer, fur-
MANAGEMENT
THOUGHTS
ing to company figures released
earlier this month, 80 percent
of the 25,000 new clients Club
Med attracted in 2013 were
Chinese, and the rest were Brazilians. Fosun’s new offer aims
at expanding in China and Brazil but also stressed that “the
group would continue to invest
in France, Club Med’s leading
market, to continue to win new
parts of the market and outperform its competitors.” The
group is struggling, reporting a
net loss of 12 million euros this
year, with a turnover of 1.38 billion euros. It owns 70 holiday
villages in 26 countries and employs some 13,000 staff.(AFP)
Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.
EUROPE MIXED
BUSINESS
12
Saturday, December 20, 2014
percent to 4,205.59 points.
Global stock markets surged in
a “Santa Claus rally” on Thursday as dealers welcomed the
outcome of the US Federal Reserve meeting which signalled
an interest rate increase was
not imminent.
Asian markets continued the
trend yesterday, with Tokyo
jumping 2.39 percent by the
close and Hong Kong up 1.25
percent. The Bank of Japan on
Friday struck a more upbeat
view of the world’s number
three economy, saying exports
were showing signs of
picking up
while factory output
has started
to “bottom
out”.
The
comments
came
as
CURRENCIES
policymakEXCHANGE RATE
ers wrapped
up a twoday meetSELL CASH
SELL DRAFT
ing where
they held off
fresh easing
measures,
after
announcing
London
uropean stocks traded
mixed yesterday following sharp gains the previous
day, while oil futures rose after
sharp falls amid huge volatility
across global markets ahead of
the festive shutdown. London’s
FTSE 100 index of leading
shares climbed 0.45 percent
to stand at 6,495.39 points in
afternoon trade. Frankfurt’s
DAX 30 shed 0.91 percent
compared with Thursday’s
close to 9,721.95 points and
in Paris the CAC 40 fell 1.03
E
COUNTRY
in late October a huge expansion of the BoJ’s asset-buying
programme. “He left it late this
year, but Santa finally provided
a Christmas rally yesterday, after stability entered the previously volatile rouble and Brent
Crude oil, and positivity from
US and Japan led to worldwide
rallies,” Connor Campbell,
analyst at Spreadex trading
group, said yesterday.
US stocks opened flat as the
market sought to keep alive a
winning streak since Wednes-
European stocks mixed, oil markets rise
US stocks opened
flat as the market
sought to keep
alive a winning
streak.
day that has recovered most
of December’s losses. After
five minutes of trading the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
had crept up 0.01 percent to
17,779.62 points. The broadbased S&P 500 added 0.13
percent to 2,063.83, while the
tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.09 percent
to 4,744.09. In foreign exchange, the euro edged down
to $1.2285 from $1.2287 late in
New York on Thursday. Gold
dipped to $1,197.50 an ounce
from $1,199 Thursday on the
London Bullion Market.
Brent North Sea crude for
delivery in February climbed
$1.14 to $60.41 a barrel and
New York’s WTI contract
for January jumped $1.31
to $55.42 at the opening of
trade there. Oil prices skidded
sharply lower in volatile trade
Thursday, pushing the US
benchmark futures contract to
a new five-year low amid concerns about ample global supplies. “We see a lot of volatility
and this volatility seems bound
to last until the end of the year,
with not much happening,
fundamentally,” said Carl Larry of Frost & Sullivan. “It’s a lot
of holiday trade now,” he said,
with traders looking in the
rearview mirror at important
US macroeconomic events:
the November jobs report last
Friday and the Federal Reserve
policy decision Wednesday.
(AFP)
Alstom shareholders approve Nigeria toughens
sale energy assets to GE
currency trading curbs
S
N
Paris
hareholders approved yesterday the
12.4-billion-euro
($15.2-billion)
sale of Alstom’s energy assets to US
group General Electric by which the
French company will refocus on high
speed trains. “It is the best solution
GULF
INTERBANK RATES
1US$
BAHRAIN
KUWAIT
OMAN
QATAR
UAE
SAUDI
1UK Stg
1SFR
100 Yen
for the future of Alstom,” chief executive Patrick Kron said at the meeting
marked by sharp exchanges, saying
the company had lost sufficient scale
to compete in the energy sector. Nevertheless, the sale that sees Alstom sell
off about 70 percent of the company,
was approved by 99.187 percent of the
votes. GE won a two-month deeply political battle to buy the energy arm of
Alstom in late June, in the face of initial French government opposition and
a rival joint offer from Germany’s Siemens and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
of Japan.
GE snapped up the prize of Alstom’s
gas turbine unit -- a large, lucrative
business with long-term contracts and
income stream that complements GE
which is already the world leader in
the sector. But it had to agree to a number of other deals in order to win over
the French government, which has a
veto over sales in strategic sectors of
the economy, and which was worried
about job losses amid a recession and
high unemployment. GE also agreed
to take on Alstom’s nuclear, steam turbine, offshore wind and hydro power
businesses, which it will run as 50-50
joint ventures with French shareholders including, most importantly, the
government.
And it will fold its electricity grid
business into Alstom’s, also to be run
as a 50-50 joint venture. Meanwhile GE
will hand its own train signalling business to the firm’s high-speed rail operation -- which makes France’s famed
TGV trains -- and which will become
the core business of Alstom. (AFP)
Lagos
igeria’s central bank yesterday announced new
measures to curb currency
speculation as part of an effort
to defend the naira which has
been hit hard by the collapse
in global oil prices. The move
comes after a currency devaluation and a cut in the 2015
growth forecast and less than
two months before general elections, with President Goodluck
Jonathan trying to assure voters
that Nigeria’s financial future
remains healthy. Customers
who purchase foreign currency
through the interbank market
or an authorised trader must
use the funds within 48-hours,
said a statement issued by the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“Failing (this), such funds
must be returned to the CBN
for re-purchase at the Bank’s
buying rate,” it said, warning
that sanctions would be imposed on those who fail to comply. (AFP)
Ex-Bank of Cyprus executives
face trial over meltdown
Nicosia
wo former chairmen and
three other one-time top
executives of the Bank of Cyprus are being charged in connection with the economic
meltdown that forced Nicosia
to seek a painful international
bailout. Attorney General Costas Clerides told the Cyprus
News Agency a case was filed
yesterday before the Nicosia
district court in what could
T
lead to the first prosecution
since the March 2013 banking
crisis that almost bankrupted the country. Former BoC
chairmen Theodoros Aristodemou and Andreas Artemis,
ex-CEOs Andreas Eliades and
Yiannis Kypri and former executive Yiannis Pehlivanidis
are set for a hearing on January
30, when the case is expected
to be referred to the criminal
court.(AFP)
REELING FROM
FALLING PRICE
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Gulf braces for tough times over oil price plunge
Omar Hasan
Kuwait City
G
ulf countries are bracing
for tough times as vital
oil revenues fall and after they
missed a golden opportunity to
diversify their economies in a
decade of unprecedented windfalls, analysts say. The six nations of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- could soon start reeling
from falling oil prices, which
have dropped by half from their
2014 highs to around $60 a barrel. Pumping about 17.5 million
barrels per day, GCC countries
are forecast to lose at least half
their oil revenues, or around
$350 billion a year, at current
price levels. Oil revenues make
up around 90 percent of income for most GCC states and
with prices now below budget
forecasts, their governments
are looking at certain deficits
next year.
Spending cuts are sure to follow -- and possibly even the region’s first taxes -- raising fears
of public discontent and eventually an economic slowdown.
The oil price drop has also sent
Gulf stock prices plummeting,
wiping out billions of dollars of
market value across the region
and hurting major private firms
like developer Emaar Properties and builder Arabtec Holding. The heart of the problem,
leading Kuwaiti economist Jassem al-Saadun said, is that Gulf
states failed to seize on surging
energy revenues to build up
their economies outside the oil
sector. “Gulf states have missed
an important opportunity to
reform and build a real diversified economy,” Saadun said.
“Public spending has soared
to new record highs and it was
not for vital infrastructure projects to diversify the economy,”
Saadun said. “It was mostly for
wages, salaries and subsidies...
and handouts for buying political loyalty especially after the
Arab Spring.”
Economists are warning that
even with the huge reserves
many have built up, a prolonged drop in oil prices will
Economists are
warning that a
prolonged drop in
oil prices will hit
Gulf states hard.
hit Gulf states hard. “The prevailing growth model for most
oil-exporting countries has left
them vulnerable to a sustained
decline in oil prices,” the International Monetary Fund
said in a research bulletin last
week headlined: “It is high time
to diversify”. Ratings agency
Standard & Poor’s is warning
that an extended decline in oil
prices will likely slow the Gulf
economies, reducing spending
on their massive infrastructure
projects and hitting the private
sector. S&P has lowered its outlooks for Saudi Arabia, Oman
and Bahrain, though it has maintained their ratings because of
their impressive reserves.
The IMF has said that -- barring Oman and Bahrain, which
are already in deficit -- GCC
states will not be greatly affected in the short-term as they
can tap into reserves estimated
at $2.5 trillion. But these funds,
the IMF warned, will “only
provide a temporary cushion”.
In some parts of the region,
the belt-tightening has already
begun. Regional powerhouse
Saudi Arabia has insisted it
will maintain its high spending
levels by tapping into reserves.
But Kuwait has ordered major
spending cuts and is considering lifting petrol and electricity
BUSINESS
subsidies. In the UAE, Dubai
has announced plans to raise
electricity and water charges.
Similar measures are expected
by other countries.
Moody’s Ratings said Gulf
countries are likely to start
with cuts in spending on “nonstrategic investment projects”
but will eventually face tough
choices. “Slowing or even reversing the growth in current
government spending, including subsidy reforms, will be
more difficult as governments
seek to meet social welfare demands,” the agency said. As oil
revenues in Gulf states surged
from about $100 billion in 2000
to $729 billion last year, public spending grew from about
$150 billion to $547 billion, according to IMF figures. But the
spending focused mostly on
items like wages and subsidies
-- not crucial capital investment. “Current expenditure has
surpassed capital spending by
miles,” said M.R. Raghu, head
13
of research at Kuwait Financial
Center (MARKAZ).
Cutting that spending now is
difficult as it means taking courageous decisions on wage and
subsidy reforms, experts say.
The Gulf states have adopted a
generous cradle-to-grave welfare system with highly subsidised services and fuel and
no taxation. The World Bank
has urged GCC states to start
immediate cuts to energy subsidies, which cost them more
than $160 billion annually,
and Saadun said it was “inevitable” they would have to start
introducing taxes. Such moves
would prove deeply unpopular.
But Saadun said putting them
off would eventually make
more drastic efforts necessary,
which could spark the kind of
social unrest that has hit other
countries in the region. “Yes,
these measures are politically
sensitive, but the alternative is
an Arab Spring in the Gulf. Options are no longer easy.” (AFP)
EU VERSUS US
14
BUSINESS
Saturday, December 20, 2014
EU launches new trade dispute with US over Boeing subsidies
Geneva
he EU yesterday launched
a fresh trade dispute at the
World Trade Organisation,
charging that the United States
was providing “billions of dollars” in unfair subsidies to help
Boeing build its new 777X jet.
The European Union said the
United States was breaking
WTO rules by offering “vastly
T
EU’s request
yesterday for
consultations is
the first step in
a dispute within
the WTO’s Dispute
Settlement
System.
expanded” tax incentives to
the airplane maker, among
other things ensuring the new
model would be built in the
state of Washington. Brussels
insisted that the broadened
subsidies were contrary to the
WTO Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement,
“because they require the beneficiary to use domestic goods
rather than imported ones”.
“The subsidies scheme extension is estimated to be
worth $8.7 billion (7.1 billion
euros) and will be the largest
subsidy for the civil aerospace
industry in US history,” the
European Commission said
in a statement. Brussels and
Washington have been at odds
for the past decade over the issue of government subsidies
to Boeing and its European
rival Airbus, with both having
won and lost complaints filed
against the other at the WTO.
The EU’s request yesterday for
consultations is the first step
in a dispute within the WTO’s
Dispute Settlement System.
The parties usually have 30
days to discuss the matter and
reach a solution. If they fail
to do so, the complainant can
request that a panel of experts
be established to study the dispute and reach a verdict.(AFP)
S&P lower
Ukraine rating
to CCC
Paris
tandard & Poors lowered
its credit rating for Ukraine
yesterday to CCC- with a negative outlook, warning that
dangerously low foreign currency reserves could prompt a
default within months. “The
negative outlook reflects our
view of the increasing risk that,
without additional financial
support, Ukraine may default
on its obligations,” the credit
rating agency said. Ukraine
is embroiled in a war with
Russian-backed separatists in
its main industrial region and
earlier lost control to Russia of
the strategic Crimea province.
The government in Kiev has
pleaded for international aid to
rescue it from economic crisis,
but Western creditors are insisting tough reforms, especially in
tackling corruption -- measures
that have become even harder
to achieve in wartime. S&P
said a delay this year in IMF
aid, couple with “significantly
reduced foreign currency official reserves, increases the risk
that the Ukrainian government
might not be able to meet its obligations. (AFP)
S
Lanka opposition vows to withdraw casino tax breaks
Colombo
ri Lanka’s main opposition said yesterday that it
would withdraw generous tax
concessions for controversial
foreign-funded resorts aiming to make Colombo a gambling hotspot in South Asia if
it wins next month’s elections.
President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government is facing an
unexpectedly tough challenge
in the national elections from
Maithripala Sirisena, who has
united opposition forces. In
his manifesto unveiled Friday, Sirisena said the special
tax status granted to three
planned casino resorts would
be withdrawn -- a promise that
targets the Buddhist vote bank
in an attempt to erode Rajapakse’s rural support base. “I
will withdraw the concessions
S
given to the casino projects,”
he said in his manifesto which
also vowed to launch a major
offensive against narcotics.
Sri Lanka’s influential Buddhist clergy had opposed allowing three casino resorts,
including one with investments from Australia’s gambling mogul James Packer.
But Colombo gave them tax
holidays in December 2013.
Then in April, the government said they will not issue
casino licences to the three
mega resorts, yet made it
clear that existing local gambling operations could move
into them. The palm-fringed
island nation legalised casinos in December 2010, but
the legislation has never been
implemented.
Tourism suffered during
the decades-long combat with
separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
But with the end of fighting
in 2009, the hospitality trade
has grown steadily and the authorities had banked on casinos to lift the industry. None
of the proposed gambling resorts have opened in Colombo
yet, but several local casinos
have been in operation for
decades, exploiting legal loopholes. Packer’s proposed 450room Crown Sri Lanka resort
-- which once promised on its
website to offer “world-class
gaming facilities” -- is yet to
begin construction. The other
two resorts are a $650-million development from local conglomerate John Keells
Holdings and a $300-million
project by local businessman
Dhammika Perera.(AFP)
India tables ‘biggest tax
reform’ since independence
New Delhi
ndia’s government introduced legislation yesterday billed as the biggest tax
reform since independence,
with analysts hailing it as a
“game changer” that would
cut the cost of doing business
and boost economic growth.
The long-awaited goods-andservices tax (GST) would
eliminate a slew of levies
currently in place to create a
single internal market. One of
various reforms undertaken
by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s government, the GST
would swell public coffers
I
by broadening the tax base,
economists say.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called the GST the “single
biggest tax reform since independence” of the country
from Britain more than six
decades ago. “We will formally take it (the GST) up in the
next session” which begins in
February, Jaitley told parliament’s upper house as the bill
was introduced in the lower
house. “It is like creating internal trade liberalisation,”
Jaitley said. The Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), which won
a crushing election mandate
in May under leader Narendra Modi, aims to have the
reform take effect from April
1, 2016. Jaitley said his party
had succeeded in getting India’s 29 states to agree to the
GST where the previous leftleaning Congress government
failed.
He described the indirect
tax as a “win-win situation”
for both levels of government.
Jaitley reassured India’s states
the government would give “a
constitutional assurance” in
terms of compensating them
for any loss of revenue from
the tax change. (AFP)
Staff at the French daily newspaper Le Monde headquarters work yesterday in Paris with the day’s edition
on the eve of the publication’s 70th anniversary.
Japan carrier
promoted
trainee pilot
despite worries
Tokyo
apanese transport authorities
yesterday ordered a budget
airline to boost safety standards
after it promoted a trainee to a
full-blown pilot despite worries over ability. Air Do, which
links Tokyo to cities in Japan’s
northernmost prefecture of
Hokkaido in a tie-up with major carrier All Nippon Airways,
was also found lax on aircraft
maintenance check-ups. The
government said a co-pilot on
training at Air Do bungled a
landing at Chitose airport in
Hokkaido on September 11 by
coming in too quickly. The instructor gave a good mark, paving the way for promotion, but
when the company examined
flight data, the error became apparent. They nevertheless let the
trainee’s promotion stand. “The
company’s training systems for
flight crews is not functioning
J
15
BUSINESS
Austria sues
German state
bank for 3.5
bn euros
TOKYO UPBEAT
Saturday, December 20, 2014
BoJ strikes more upbeat view on economy, holds off fresh measures
Haruhiko Kuroda
properly,” the transport ministry said in its order to Air Do.
The ministry also noted Air
Do was found to have put off
necessary regular check-ups
on aircraft. The company was
ordered to submit measures for
improvement by January 30. No
immediate comment or details
were available from Air Do.
(AFP)
IMF holds
backs Cyprus
rescue cash
Nicosia
he International Monetary
Fund held back 86 million
euros ($106 million) in bailout
funds for Cyprus yesterday after
the island’s parliament delayed
a vote on foreclosure legislation demanded by lenders. The
money is part of a 10-billion
euro package of emergency
loans that eurozone member
Cyprus was forced to negotiate to avoid bankruptcy early
last year. The troika of lenders
-- the European Central Bank,
European Commission and
IMF -- have already disbursed
several tranches of the package as the island has kept to
the harsh austerity programme
it had agreed to. But conservative President Nicos Anastasiades, who has led a minority
government since centre-right
coalition partner DIKO quit
in February, failed to get the
foreclosures legislation put to
a vote on Thursday. Lawmakers postponed debate on the
controversial bill until January
30 in a move that prompted the
IMF to withhold the 86 million
euros.(AFP)
T
Tokyo
he Bank of Japan yesterday struck a more upbeat
view of the world’s number
three economy, saying exports
were showing signs of picking up while factory output
has started to “bottom out”.
The comments came as policymakers wrapped up a twoday meeting where they held
off fresh easing measures, after
announcing in late October
a huge expansion of the BoJ’s
asset-buying programme. At
a post-meeting press briefing, bank governor Haruhiko
Kuroda repeated a pledge to
do whatever is necessary to
achieve the bank’s 2.0 percent
inflation target in 2015, part of
a wider bid to end the deflation
that has plagued the economy
T
for years.
A plunge in crude oil prices
is threatening the bank’s target,
but cheaper energy should give
the wider economy a shot in
the arm and generate higher
prices, he said. The oil price
drop has also narrowed Japan’s
gaping trade deficit while a
sharply weaker yen has been
a plus for exporters. “The fall
in oil prices has positive effects on the overall economy,”
Kuroda told reporters. The
central bank kept up its view
that Japan was seeing a moderate recovery, in line with other
advanced economies including
the United States.
“In this situation, exports
have shown signs of picking
up,” the BoJ said earlier in
the day. Private consumption
remains “resilient” while realestate investment has “started
to bottom out”, the bank said,
echoing its view of factory
output, which edged up 0.2
percent on-month in October,
Oil price drop has
narrowed Japan’s
gaping trade
deficit.
beating market expectations.
“Business sentiment has generally stayed at a favourable level,
although some cautiousness
has been observed,” it added.
Highlighting that caution, the
BoJ’s quarterly Tankan survey
this week showed confidence
among major Japanese manufacturers edged down in the
three months to December.
A separate bank report
Thursday showed firms were
holding a record amount of
cash equivalent to almost half
the country’s gross domestic
product, despite calls for more
wage hikes and capital spending. However, Tokyo’s efforts to
stoke the economy, which initially bore fruit, took a hit after
an April sales tax rise slammed
the brakes on growth as Japan
sank into recession during
the third quarter. The decline
prompted Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe to delay a second
sales tax rise initially planned
for next year and call snap
elections that he easily won on
Sunday.(AFP)
US bank Ally Financial exits TARP bailout
Washington
S bank Ally Financial,
rescued during the 2008
financial crisis, has exited the
TARP bailout programme,
the Treasury Department said
yesterday. The Treasury said it
had sold its remaining stake of
54.9 million shares in Ally for
$23.25 per share, gaining $1.3
billion for taxpayers. The sale
marked the Treasury’s last major investment in the Troubled
Asset Relief Program (TARP),
it said in a statement. According to the Treasury, taxpayers
recovered $19.6 billion on the
investment in Ally, the former
GMAC, the auto-financing
arm of General Motors that
was sold off and became a bank
holding company during the
financial crisis. Taxpayers have
U
netted a profit of roughly $2.4
billion on the original $17.2
billion investment in the automotive financial services provider, the Treasury said. “We
are appreciative of the investment the US Treasury made
in Ally and their understanding of how important available financing was to the US
auto recovery,” said Michael
Carpenter, chief executive of
Ally, in a separate statement.
Ally shares jumped 3.4 percent
to $23.53 in morning trade on
the New York Stock Exchange.
The Treasury said it had now
recovered $441.7 billion on
TARP investments, including
the sale of its shares in insurance giant American International Group, compared with
$426.4 billion paid out. (AFP)
Vienna
long-running legal tussle
between Austria and Bavaria took a new twist yesterday
as Vienna sued the southern
German region’s state bank
for 3.5 billion euros ($4.3 billion). “Today is no day for
jokes,” Austrian Foreign Minister Hans Joerg Schelling told
reporters in Vienna. “We have
studied all the alternatives for
months. We owe it to the taxpayers.” The case centres on
bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria
(HGAA), which had to be nationalised by Austria during
the 2009 financial crisis, costing taxpayers in Austria and
Bavaria billions of euros in the
subsequent winding-down. At
the time HGAA was majorityowned by Bavaria’s Bayerische
Landesbank (BayernLB), which
Austria says failed to provide
a complete picture of HGAA’s
dire financial position. BayernLB, which also claims it
was misled when it bought into
HGAA in 2007, this week filed
a lawsuit in Vienna claiming
back 2.4 billion euros in loans
made to HGAA. Austrian finance minister Schelling said
Friday that he remains open to
an out-of-court settlement, saying he was “still ready to talk”.
HGAA’s collapse has also led to
numerous other legal cases, including former top executives
of BayernLB going on trial in
the state capital Munich over
the disastrous 2007 purchase.
A
Indonesia
closes island
airport
Jakarta
ndonesia temporarily closed
a domestic airport yesterday
after a volcano in the country’s
east erupted, spewing plumes of
ash hundreds of metres into the
air, officials said. The volcano,
Mount Gamalama -- which
forms the entire island of Ternate in North Maluku province
-- erupted late Thursday and
was still coughing up ash the
following day. While no one
in the area has yet been told to
evacuate, an airport in Ternate
town at the mountain’s foot
was forced to close, the transport ministry said. “We closed
the Sultan Baabulah airport
this morning as the volcanic
ash may pose a risk to planes,”
said ministry spokesman J.A.
Barata. The airport could reopen Saturday if there are no
further eruptions, Barata said.
Darno Lamane, an official at the
volcano monitoring post, said
the 1,715-metre (5,630 feet)
volcano continued to spew ash
in plumes of up to 600 metres
yesterday. A local disaster management agency official said
that 11 hikers who had been
at the volcano when it erupted
managed to escape, but some
were injured as they clambered
down. (AFP)
I
16
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Minister of Education, Dr. Majid Al Nuaimi attended the
Seventh Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education
and Scientific Research in Rabat, Morocco. The conference was
organised by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (ISESCO), under the theme ‘Higher Education:
Governance, Innovation and Employability.’
More than 2000 people from different nationalities attended an event organised by the Pakistan Club,
under the patronage of Capital Governorate. Governor of Capital Governorate, Shaikh Hisham bin Abdul
Rehman Al Khalifa was the chief guest. Head of Chancery of Pakistan Embassy, Muhammad Ahad was
also present. Various cultural programmes were held on the occasion.
Renowned Malayalam playback singer, Franco Simon inaugurated the first edition of UAE Exchange KCA Talent Scan 2014. Various
cultural programmes including musical concert and drama were staged during the inaugural ceremony. As many as 350 children of
Indian Community, under the age group of 5-18 years, will participate in the event.
The Arab Open University-Bahrain Branch (AOU) has held a celebration on th
Razzaq Al Roumi, the administrative and educational staff and students. Dr. K
era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Jalal Iconics Company- Aqua Cool has organised a staff party at The Diplomat Raddison Blu Hotel
to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aqua Cool. Bahrain National Commission carried out a workshop for five days in the UNESCO Doha Office to discuss the
Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF). The workshop, presented by Statistical Advisor, Yousif Falah,
was attended by specialists, representatives of the Education Ministry and Bahrain Secretariat General of
Higher Education Council.
Thattai Hindu community yesterday organised a blood donation camp at the Thattai Hindu
community premises in Manama. The camp was held to mark the National Day celebration. About
170 people donated blood on the occasion.
Secretary General of the Bahrain Red Crescent Society, Dr. Fawzi Ameen has said that the strategic
objective of the society is to focus on building internal partnerships with other relevant agencies
and humanitarian relief work in the Kingdom. Her statements came during a seminar organised
by the Red Crescent Society. The seminar was attended by representatives of Interior, Health and
Islamic ministries and charity societies. The seminar revolved around the protection of millions of
refugees, displaced persons, emergency response and assistance to the needy.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
17
Students of New Millennium School – DPS celebrated National Day of the Kingdom with great enthusiasm and fervour at its campus with a series of special
assemblies. Students dressed in brightly coloured traditional Bahraini costumes filled the air with feelings of celebration and excitement. School Chairman,
Dr. Ravi Pillai, Managing Director, Geetha Pillai and Principal, Arun Kuumar Sharma extended their best wishes on the occasion of National Day.
he occasion of National Day celebrations. The event was attended by the branch’s Director, Dr. Khaldoun Abdul
Khaldoun congratulated Bahrain leadership on the occasion, lauding the achievements made in the prosperous
The Department of Cultural and Student Activities of the Ministry of Education has organised a
workshop on leadership. The workshop, conducted by Professor Sayed Salah Alawi, was attended
by a total of 80 students from the Kingdom’s 16 schools.
On behalf of Supreme Council for Youth and Sport Chairman, Bahrain Olympic Committee President and Royal Charity Organisation
(RCO) Chairman, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the General Organisation of Youth and Sport (GOYS), Hisham Al
Jowder honoured the winners for the car decoration contest held on the occasion of National Day celebrations.
Supreme
Head
of
the Indian Orthodox
Church and Catholicos
of the East, His Holiness
Baselios Mar Thoma
Paulose II arrived in
Bahrain last night. He was
received at the airport
by St. Mary’s Indian
Orthodox
Cathedral
Vicar, Fr. Varghese
Yohannan,
Assistant
Vicar, Fr. M B George,
committee
members
and parishioners. The
Catholicos will celebrate
holy mass at the
cathedral tonight before
returning to Kerala.
Pics by muhamed thasleem
On the occasion of Bahrain National Day, Pakistan Embassy in
association with Al Saqafa organised a Qawwali performance by
Amjad Sabri at InterContinental Regency, Manama. Many dignitaries
attended the function.
18
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Rihanna Debuts (Another) Weird Hairstyle
Paris
P
erhaps there’s a reason her creative talents are being used on shoes instead of hair...
Never one to stick with a hairstyle for long, Rihanna changed up her tresses yet again with a ‘du jour
do’ consisting of blunt, extra straight forehead bangs with sleek face-framing pieces and long wavy black hair
(extensions, clearly). She showed off her hair makeover at the Trocadero gardens in Paris. The pop star’s tousled
mane is a drastic hairstyle-180 from her look earlier this week in Herzogenaurach, Germany, where she sported
dramatic side-swept bangs and a classic femme fatale loose updo.
Clooney n Downton
Abbey’s Selfie!
England
L
ights, camera, selfie!
George Clooney’s guest appearance
on “Downtown Abbey” is likely one
of the most-anticipated TV events of
the year
and to mark the
occasion,
the
Oscar-winner
took
an epic selfie
o f
himself with
the entire cast of the British television
show.
The stars of the period drama are
normally pretty stuffy, but Clooney’s
charms makes all of them flash megawatt
smiles for the phone camera.
The 53-year old heartthrob filmed
the special skit for ITV’s Text Santa
telethon, which will raise money for
U.K. charities, and it will air on British
this weekend.
happy
AK with PK
Dressed to the nines in a smart grey suit to match
his pepper grey hair, the “Gravity” actor flanks Carson
(Jim Carter), Tom Branson (Allen Leech), Lady Mary
(Michelle Dockery) and Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael).
Bieber loses 3.5 million followers as Instagram
deletes bogus accounts
Toronto
A crackdown on fake Instagram accounts has
cost Justin Bieber, Canadian pop star about 15
per cent of his followers. He lost 3.5 million
Instagram followers virtually overnight
after the social media company purged
phony accounts. The Facebook-owned
company said it is removing spam
accounts and those that violate its
community guidelines.
“We want to maintain the best possible
experience on Instagram, so we do our
best to remove spam, fake accounts
and other people and posts that
don’t follow our Community
Guidelines,”
read
a
message posted online
by Instagram last week.
Portman: ‘Star Wars
nearly ruined my career’
France
he Oscar-winning Black Swan actress
recalled her struggles with George Lucas’s
sci-fi series, Star Wars, in a tribute to her Closer
director Mike Nichols, who passed away last
month at the age of 83.
T
“Star Wars had come out around the time of
Seagull, and everyone thought I was a horrible
actress,” she said.
Portman was nominated for an Academy
Award in 2005 for Nichols’s Closer and won six
years later for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan
in 2011.
Nicki Minaj named the
face of Roberto Cavalli
London
repared to witness Nicki Minaj like you’ve never seen her before?
Here she’s, the famed rapper, just had been named as the face of Roberto
Cavalli’s new Spring/Summer 2015 advertising.
Throughout the images taken by photographer Francesco Carrozzini, the
32-year-old is doing a tribal dance while rocking such colours as fire orange, blue,
saffron yellow and green.
Even without showing off her notorious derriere, the hitmaker still manages
to ooze sensuality like never before.
P
Mumbai
M
r Perfectionist of Bollywood
Aamir Khan, said he went to
some lengths to develop the physical
aspects of his character in the film
and that there were many challenges
to playing the character of PK.
“The challenge for me was getting
into the head of the character. That
was the biggest challenge for me. In
terms of physicality, he never blinks
and he runs with his hands straight
by his side. So these were physical
things that ultimately go into creating
the visual aspect of the character.
He also revealed his ‘sleepless
nights’ before movie releases.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Ce leb s
1
Hollywood’s Highest
Paid Actresses
Y
ou must have been wondering who gets paid the most among the Hollywood
actresses. We are here to tell you exactly that. But, we warn you not swoon after
looking at the whopping figures below. We are only projecting the salaries of
the top ten category. Remember down the line, there are also others who get paid a
fortune!!!
2 3 4
Angelina Jolie, $30 million
Sarah Jessica Parker $30 million
5
8
Julia Roberts $20 million
Cameron Diaz $18 million
Jennifer Aniston $28 million
6
9
Kristen Stewart $20 million
Sandra Bullock $15 million
Reese Witherspoon $28 million
7
10
Katherine Heigl $19 million
Meryl Streep $10 million
19
Saturday, December 20, 2014
20
Ripley’s
by John Graziano
Lipsticks were once
made using fish scales
I
t was around four to five thousand
years ago manmade lipsticks
appeared in ancient Mesopotamia.
Women used to grind precious
gems and decorate lips with their
dust. Powerful and wealthy ancient
Egyptians used lipsticks regularly.
It is said that Cleopatra liked red
lipstick. Lipsticks made out
of colourful fruits and juices
were initially used by women
since the prehistoric
times. For a long time in
European Middle Ages,
red and dark lipsticks
were associated with
Satan worshipping, also
they were often viewed
as a fashion accessory of
sex workers and lower class
women. Shortly after the
reign of Queen Elizabeth I,
women in high circles began
using red lipsticks. The
most famous actresses
that
popularized
lipsticks
were
Greta
Garbo,
Joan Crawford,
Marilyn Monroe
and Elizabeth Taylor.
Main ingredients of lipsticks are
waxes (even natural beeswax), oils,
pigments and emollients. They also
have vitamin E, collagen, amino
acids, aloe vera, sunscreen and
moisturizers .
Earlier, certain brands of lipstick
contained the synthetic version of
fish scales called pearl essence, a
silvery substance that makes fish
scales flash and one’s lips shiny and
sparkling.
The pearl essence was primarily
sourced from herring and was found
in many lipsticks, nail polishes and
other cosmetic products due to the
shimmer effect it created. Herring
are one of the most abundant and
most important fish groups in
the world. Herring are not only
important to the food web in
the ocean but also to the health
of many coastal communities.
The pearl essence was heavily
processed, so people allergic
to fish protein had no
problem with it at all. However, if it wasn’t
for the pearl essence ,
a world full of nonshimmering lips
would have been
the outcome.
Your StarS todaY
Aries:
20th March 20th April
Aries, you may have
been a little difficult to
be around lately. You like to
treat yourself to a little moodiness
from time to time, but the people
around you might appreciate a
little cooperation. There are
days when you don’t want
to grow up, when it’s
time to play.
Leo:
20th
July - 20th
Aug
Leo, you have a
tendency to run away
from confrontation, but
today you might not be
able to avoid it. Your partner
or a family member may
be putting pressure on you.
It’s possible you’ve already
worked out a solution to
this problem. Tell your
partner what he or she
wants to hear so you
can do what you
want later.
TAurus :
20th April - 20th May
One thing is for sure, Taurus, you’d
rather be in bed with a good book than
out in the stressful world. But you may be
feeling like you’re missing out on some of the good
things in life. How much time do you spend with
other people? Why not try to find someone
who shares your taste for good books
and bed? Think about it!
Virgo:
20th Aug - 20th
sept
You may feel a little
weary today, Virgo. It’s
a good time to take stock
of your life. You may have
gotten some news about
someone that has caused you
some pain. This is a good time
to rely on the support of
your relationship in
order to reenergize
yourself.
sAgiTTArius:
20th nov - 20th Dec
You don’t live your life by society’s
rules, Sagittarius. Your freedom is
what is most important to you. But despite
your independence, there are days when you
have the sudden, sinking feeling that you
could wind up alone in this
world.
geMini :
20th May - 20th June
Your greatest quality is generosity,
Gemini. Your nature isn’t to give to others
in order to get something back but for the
pleasure of giving. This is how you get power
and light. Think of all the people in the world
who give of themselves without expecting
anything in return.
LibrA:
20th sep - 20th oct
You have the gift of being able to get
your great ideas across to others. In your
family, you may be the one who teaches
your children about life and its responsibilities. Today someone might teach you
something you didn’t know. You should never
forget that education means communication, and communication is the
exchange of ideas.
CApriCorn:
20th Dec - 20th Jan
Capricorn, life around
you today almost seems like
a (bad) dream. It’s almost as if
people are talking, but nothing
intelligible is coming out of
their mouths. Perhaps two
people close to you are having problems getting
along.
CanCer:
20th June - 20th
July
It’s important to take
a hard look at yourself
and know where you’re
going, Cancer. A little self-analysis
never hurt anyone, especially
when you feel like you aren’t
getting anywhere. But you have
a tendency to go a little
overboard with selfsCorpio:
criticism.
20th oct - 20th
nov
There may be tension
in the air as you go
about your day, Scorpio.
The leftover fatigue from the past
few days is starting to wear on
you. You may have managed to
pisCes:
get into an argument with
20th Feb someone close to you, but
20th Mar
there might be a reaToday’s planetary
son for this.
configuration has you
wondering about an aspect
of your life that causes you a
AquArius:
good deal of hardship, Pisces.
20th Jan - 20th
Maybe your partner is often
Feb
away and this is particuYou can’t spend all your
larly hard on you. You’d like
time running from one activity to
your sweetie to be there
the next, Aquarius. You need to take
through
thick and thin.
a break from time to time. You have
This may be causing
all the energy you need, but you
some tension in
should think about relaxing
your relationyourself as a whole.
ship.
21
Saturday, December 20, 2014
CrossworD
Across
1- Iowa city; 5- Think nothing ___; 9- Yoga posture; 14Dynamic start; 15- Appraise, charge per unit; 16- Provide
food; 17- Small brook; 18- Silent; 19- Newbies; 20- Chronic
lung disease; 23- Ad word; 24- Miracle-___; 25- Form of
poem, often used to praise something; 28- Power problems;
31- Orch. section; 34- Engine; 36- Lush; 37- Potpourri; 38In spite of; 42- Ayatollah’s land; 43- Extra-wide shoe size;
44- First name in cosmetics; 45- Horse-like animal, term
of insult; 46- Whenever; 49- Was in session; 50- Grads-tobe; 51- Extinct bird; 53- County in central England; 60Traditional portion of Muslim law; 61- Dutch name of The
Hague; 62- Remove water from a boat; 63- For all to hear;
64- Legal rights org.; 65- Conductor Klemperer; 66- Edible
red seaweed; 67- Flexible tube; 68- Bring forth young;
Yesterday’s solution
Down
1- Over-50 org.; 2- Chow ___; 3- Author ___ Stanley
Gardner; 4- Alone, on stage; 5- Alloy of copper and zinc;
6- Tap; 7- Sock ___ me!; 8- Adolescent; 9- Thespians; 10Authority; 11- Longfellow’s bell town; 12- Revivalists; 13___ longa, vita brevis; 21- New Zealand native; 22- ___ Kick
Out of You; 25- ___ vincit amor; 26- Portals; 27- Kett and
James; 29- It’s a plus; 30- Obtained; 31- Narrow openings;
32- Fungal infection; 33- Man of many words?; 35- Have;
37- Takes too much; 39- Keyed up; 40- Yo!; 41- Food and
water; 46- Area with coin-operated games; 47- Standards
of perfection; 48- Storage place for dead bodies; 50Nasal cavity; 52- Yippee!; 53- Humdinger; 54- Hydroxyl
compound; 55- Ayatollah’s predecessor; 56- Snack in a shell;
57- Must’ve been something ___; 58- Comic Rudner; 59North Carolina university; 60- Downcast;
beetle bAiley
iN History
S U D O KU
R
lAugH @ life
Cute twins parody
W
Hoy en la Historia
December 20, 1951
The first electricity generated by
nuclear power illuminated light
bulbs at the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission’s National Reactor
Testing Station in Idaho
1998: The first set of octuplets to be
born alive in the U.S. were delivered
2007: Queen Elizabeth II, aged 81
years and 241 days, surpassed
Queen Victoria to become Britain’s
oldest ever reigning monarch
2009: A U.S. Army general in Iraq
added pregnancy to the list of reasons
a soldier could face court martial
2013: Bolivia’s Chinese-built Túpac
Katari 1 telecommunications satellite
was successfully launched in China
Picture: Associated Press
© GRAPHIC NEWS
hen adorable twins
Carli and Calli do
an impression of their parents they crack themselves
up, even though their folks
may not be amused.
Filmed by the aunty
Carolyn Jones, this video
shows the toddlers apparently mimicking what their
parents say when they’re
getting up to mischief which from what we see
here may be quite a bit.
When Carli and Calli,
who can only be told apart
by those who don’t know
them by their different coloured clothing, are in trouble their parents points and
say ‘march’.
The girls do the same
in their own cute way, but
we can only assume their
mum and dad don’t laugh
hysterically when their issuing y do their version.
The ‘march’ and point
command is interspersed
with the dynamic duo
play fighting and occa-
How to play:
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column
down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Yesterday’s solution
sionally giving each other
a hug.
The girls do the same
in their own cute way, but
we can only assume their
mum and dad don’t laugh
hysterically when their is-
suing y do their version.
The ‘march’ and point
command is interspersed
with the dynamic duo
play fighting and occasionally giving each other
a hug.
22
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Working..?
Then stand up!
T
he year 2014 was when
workers
everywhere
started standing up for their
rights. OK, apologies for the
puns, but the standing desk
really has been one of the rising
furniture trends this year with
mainstream brands like Ikea
getting on board and designers
working on foldable, cardboard
versions.
Standing desks have been
Kidney broker out of prison, evades deportation
TRENTON, N.J. -- The first person convicted in federal court
of profiting from illegal sale of human organs is out of
prison. Levy Izhak Rosenbaum was released from federal
correctional facility in New Jersey and is now back home
Officials decided the 63-year-old’s crimes were not deportable offences. The Israeli citizen,
who had been living in the U.S.
legally, was sentenced in 2012
to 2 1/2 years after he pleaded
guilty to brokering three illegal
kidney transplants for customers in exchange for payments
of $120,000 or more.
getting increasing attention over
the past few years, thanks to
research supporting the theory
that sitting for long periods of
time during the day could be
detrimental to our health.
Five standing desks hit the
headlines this year confirming
their mass appeal.
“StandDesk,” features handsfree technology with press button
to elevate or lower.
The portable “Zest Desk” can
transform any standard work
surface into a standing desk. It can
be assembled in 30 seconds and
features.
Proof that the standing desk had
really gone mainstream came in
the form of Swedish furniture giant
Ikea’s “Bekant - Ergonomi” model.
Maintain routines
Eat a healthy breakfast and
kickstart the day on a positive
note
Avoid skipping meals as
this could slow down your
metabolism.
Keep a modified fitness
routine with quick fitness
options
Get a partner to workout!
This will help you socialise,
do away with boredom
You will pick up the good
habits of your partners
You will remain motivated
to continue
Above all, it could be real
fun.
Age-aging effect of exercise
Do you know it has an anti-aging effect? New
research confirms right combination of exercise
prevents the shortening of telomeres which keep our
cells alive. It is, in fact, the lifestyle which hastens
or slows down telomere-shortening process. Studies
demonstrate right combination of exercise helps turn
the clock back by almost a decade!
Fitness Tips
I
t is everyone’s dream to remain fit. But, how many of you
are able to achieve it? If your answer is in the negative,
then it is time you learnt one or two tricks of the trade. The
mantra is clear: whatever you do, do it with intelligence. The
tips below should help you cut that extra flab, keep your
skin glowing and achieve bouncy cheeks. Now, it is time you
started…!
Be selective
Identify your favourites and stick
to those to avoid mindless nibbling at
parties.
Be an educated consumer and be
conscious of the calories involved in
your intake.
EAT
EXERCISE
STAY
WELL
Age No Bar
103-year-old wants to take on Bolt
KYOTO
losing in on his 104th
birthday, a twinkle-toed
Japanese sprinter has thrown
down the challenge to the
world’s fastest man Usain Bolt,
telling him: “let’s rumble!”
Hidekichi Miyazaki -- who
holds the 100 metres world
record for centenarians at 29.83
seconds and is dubbed ‘Golden
Bolt’ after the Jamaican flyer
-- plans to wait another five
years for his dream race
and was happy to reveal his
secret weapon: his daughter’s
C
tangerine jam. “I’d love
to race Bolt,” the wispyhaired Miyazaki said after
tottering over the line with
a joyful whoop at a recent
Japan Masters Athletics
competition in Kyoto.
“I’m keeping the dream
alive. I try to stay in top
shape and stay disciplined
and
healthy.
That’s
important for everyone -- even
Usain Bolt.”
Born in 1910 -- the year
Japan annexed Korea and
when the Titanic was still
under construction -- the pintsized Miyazaki offered some
dietary tips to Bolt, whose
world record is 9.58 seconds.
“My body is small so I take
care of what I eat,”
said Miyazaki, who
stands just 1.53
metres (five feet)
tall and weighs in
at 42 kilograms (92
pounds). “When
I eat, I chew each
mouthful 30 times
before swallowing,”
he added, loosening
his Usain Bolt running shoes.
“That makes my tummy
happy and helps my running.
And I eat my tangerine jam
every day.” (AFP)
Women more empathetic
to partners than men
I
t might not seem like
news, but women exhibit
considerably more empathy
towards their partners than
men do, according to a
large-scale study at Griffith
University and the University
of Queensland in Australia.
When
their
partners
succumbed to illness or
experienced a traumatizing life
event, women were noticeably
affected compared to men, the
study revealed. Is it time for
men to change?
23
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Forty-eight hours after the Peshawar massacre, which left 149 dead, the world saw
Pakistan taking a slew of measures to rein in the militants on a rampage. DT News
compiles Friday’s developments for a quick roundup.
NO HANG-UPS,
POLICY CLEAR
Islamabad
bout 24 hours after
the chief of Pakistan
army asked Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif to hang all the
terrorists, the officials started
executions on Friday. In the
first executions since 2008,
Pakistan on Friday hung two
convicted militants, officials
said.
“Yes, two militants Aqil
alias Doctor Usman and
Arshad Mehmood have
been hanged in Faisalabad
jail,” Shuja Khanzada, Home
Minister of central Punjab
province, where executions
took place, said.
Six of the seven who will
face the gallows in Faislabad
and two jails in Lahore have
been convicted for attempting
to assassinate then president Legislators and media union representatives place flowers for
and army chief Pervez the victims of Peshawar school attack, in front of the parliament
Musharraf, Geo TV reported in Islamabad on Friday. (AFP)
A
Tough anti-terror
policy agreed
Islamabad
akistan’s top political and
military leaders on Friday
agreed to pursue a tough policy
against the militant groups.
The prime minister visited
the military headquarters
in Rawalpindi and chaired a
high-level meeting on national
security and strategy against
the armed groups.
The meeting, attended by
Chief of the Army Staff General
Raheel Sharif and senior
military officials also focused
on the ongoing major military
operation in North Waziristan
tribal region and the future
course of action following
the school attack, an official
statement said.
Official
sources
said
the leaders discussed an
amendment in the Army Act to
put on trial in military courts
civilians who are involved in
attacks on the Pakistan Army
or its installations.
At the three-hour meeting,
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
and his key cabinet members
were briefed on national
security matters.
Director General of ISI Lt.
Gen. Rizwan Akhtar gave a
detailed briefing on the security
situation, the sources said.
P
School massacre
‘Pak’s 9/11’
and national security advisor
to Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif, said the assault, the
deadliest terror attack in
Pakistan’s history, was a
“game changer”.
“This has shaken the
entire Pakistani society to the
core, and in many ways it’s
a threshold in our strategy
for countering terrorism,” he
said. “Just like 9/11 changed
the US and the world forever,
this 16/12 is kind of our mini
9/11.”
Islamabad
Taliban massacre at a
school is “Pakistan’s
9/11”, the country’s top
foreign policy official said on
Friday.
Sartaj Aziz, foreign affairs
A
Two militants
Aqil alias Doctor
Usman and Arshad
Mehmood have
been hanged in
Faisalabad jail
FIR against cleric for
pro-Taliban remarks
citing jail sources earlier. The
seventh to hang Saturday is
also in Faisalabad. Arshad
Mehmood was convicted
for the assassination attempt
on Musharraf. Two jails
in Lahore will execute five
other terrorists -- Kamran
Khan, Ahsaan Nadeem,
Zahid, Zubair Ahmad and
Ghulam Sarwar -- who
were also convicted for the
assassination attempt on the
former President. (AFP)
army offensive against the
Taliban “un-Islamic” and
said the militants’ massacre
of 133 children was in
retaliation for air strikes
against them.
Maulana Abdul Aziz
told worshippers at the
Red Mosque he “shared
the grief” of the victims’
families but said the
TTP’s
response
was
understandable.
Islamabad
First
Information
Report (FIR) has
been registered against
Lal Masjid’s chief cleric
Maulana Abdul Aziz at
Aabpara Police Station
upon
unremitting
pressure exerted from
protesting civil society on
Friday night. The head
of a hardline Islamabad
mosque on Friday called an
A
Mumbai terror attack ‘mastermind’
Pak to challenge bail for Lakhvi
Islamabad
Sajjad Tarakzai
A
Pakistani government
prosecutor said on Friday
that he will challenge a court
order granting bail to the
alleged mastermind of the
2008 terror attacks in Mumbai,
which
sparked
strong
condemnation from India.
Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi
is accused of planning the
60-hour siege on India’s
commercial capital that
left 166 people dead and
was blamed on the banned
Pakistani militant group
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
A judge in an Islamabad antiterror court granted Lakhvi
bail on Thursday, prompting
anger in neighbouring India
which urged the Pakistani
government to appeal.
“I am completing all the
legal formalities and then I
will challenge this order in
Islamabad on Monday,”
government
prosecutor
Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry
said. “Today I am trying to
get a copy of the written (bail)
order and then I will file an
appeal in Islamabad high
court.”
Lakhvi remained in the
high security Adyala prison
in garrison city of Rawalpindi
even after Thursday’s court
ruling.
India’s foreign ministry
spokesman Syed Akbaruddin
said the court ruling made
“a mockery of Pakistan’s
commitment to fight terror
groups without hesitation and
without making distinctions”.
China Prez visit
Ban on umbrellas in Macau
Macau
resident Xi Jinping
visited a drizzly Macau
on Friday for the 15th
anniversary of the gambling
hub’s return to Chinese
rule, with onlookers barred
from using umbrellas -the emblem of democracy
protests in nearby Hong
Kong.
The two-day trip to the
former Portuguese enclave
P
Protesters holding yellow umbrellas are stopped by
police in Macau on Friday. (AFP)
comes just days after Hong last of three camps where
Kong police cleared the protesters had spent nearly
three months demanding
free leadership elections for
the city.
Reporters on the airport
tarmac waiting for Xi not
allowed to hold umbrellas,
and handed raincoats
instead.
Xi’s visit is an opportunity
to drive home the message
that the semi-autonomous
territory needs to diversify
away from casinos. (AFP)
“I am completing all
the legal formalities and
then I will
challenge
this order in
Islamabad on
Monday”
Army keeps the heat
on militants
Peshawar
akistani security forces killed
more than 50 suspected
militants on Friday.
An ambush by security forces
in the northwest on Friday
left at least 32 militants dead,
the military said, to add to 27
killed in air strikes and ground
operations on Thursday. In a
separate operation on Friday,
18 more militants were killed in
Khyber, the military said. Army
chief General Raheel Sharif said
the attack had renewed the forces’
determination.
P
24
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Moscow invites Kim Jong-un
Nepal urged to protect children
Kathmandu
ndian Nobel peace laureate
Kailash Satyarthi on Friday
called on Nepalese lawmakers
to do more to protect children
in Nepal, home to more than
1.6 million child labourers.
Satyarthi, who is on a
three-day visit to Nepal, said
in an address to parliament,
“It is your responsibility to
constitutionally ensure the
I
Moscow
oscow has sent an
invitation
to
the
supreme leader of North
Korea, Kim Jong-un, to the
forthcoming 70th anniversary
of the victory over Nazi
Germany.
“It is true that such
an invitation has been
sent,” Russian presidential
spokesman Dmitry Peskov
M
protection, freedom, dignity,
education and health of the
children.” Satyarthi won the
Nobel for a 35-year battle to
free thousands of children
from slave labour.
Rhino horn smuggling racket held
Cape Town
ixteen members of a
Czechoslovakia-based
syndicate have been arrested
by South African authorities
in an international rhino
horn
smuggling
bust,
a feat commended by
Environmental
Affairs
Minister Edna Molewa.
“The arrests are to be
welcomed and confirm that
S
confirmed.
Russia
will
be celebrating the 70th
anniversary of victory in the
Great Patriotic War May 9,
2015. By tradition, the leaders
of many countries are invited.
Lawmaker’s comment “Too ‘ugly’ to rape” creates a flutter in Brazil
POLITICO IN SOUP
Brasília
Héctor Velasco
A
debate about sexual
violence in Brazil sparked
by a lawmaker’s comments
on the floor of Congress has
spread beyond government
chambers, triggering a national
debate about rape and sexism
in the South American nation.
Opposition congressman
Jair Bolsonaro told Maria do
Rosario Nunes in Congress he
would not rape her “because
she was not worth it.” Then,
Nigerian Ebola patient
cured in the Netherlands
The Hague
The Nigerian UN peacekeeper
infected with Ebola has been
cured after treatment in the
Netherlands.
“The Nigerian patient has
been cured of Ebola. He will
stay at a military hospital of
Dutch defence ministry until
he can return home,” a statement from the Dutch National
Institute for Public Health and
the Environment said. The
health of all those who have
taken care of the patient will
be closely checked in the coming three weeks, it said.
he said it again. “Stay here
Maria do Rosario!” he yelled
during a parliamentary session
on December 9, the eve of
International Human Rights
Day.
“It’s been several days since
you called me a rapist, and I
said that I did not rape you
because you weren’t worth it,”
the 59-year-old retired soldier
yelled at Rosario Nunes.
It was not clear under what
circumstances Nunes called
him a rapist, as alleged.
The rival lawmakers have
Maria do Rosario Nunes
been at loggerheads for years,
and Bolsonaro was reacting
after an angry debate about
the
1964-1985
military
dictatorship, under which he
served and still supports.
His comments have sparked
national fury in Brazil, a
traditionally male-dominated
society where 137 sexual
assaults are reported daily.
Angry Brazilians also took
to social media to voice their
disgust at his comments, while
the United Nations called his
comments “unacceptable.”
Rosario Nunes, a close
ally of leftist President Dilma
Rousseff, filed a complaint,
accusing him of libel and
slander, and charged him with
public incitement to rape.
“I am not doing it for me,
but for all Brazilian women,
because no one deserves to
be raped. I do not accept in
Parliament or anywhere,
the incitement to rape,”
said Rosario Nunes, former
minister for Human Rights.
Unrepentant, Bolsonaro
said he would not ask for her
forgiveness and pressed on
with his comments. (AFP)
the killing of South Africa’s
rhino for their precious horns
is linked to international
crime syndicates,” the local
media quoted Minister Edna
Molewa.
British cop
killed in
assault
London
police
officer
died
following an early morning
assault near a nightclub in
Liverpool city centre on Friday,
media reported. Two of his
colleagues were injured in the
attack.
Merseyside Police confirmed
that an off-duty police officer,
Neil Doyle, 36, died as a result
of his injuries following the
incident.
A police spokesman said
both the injured officers had
been discharged from hospital,
where one had been treated
for a fractured cheekbone and
the other “a less serious facial
injury”.
A
Cuba will change, but
not overnight: Obama
Washington
S
President
Barack
Obama said on Friday
that Cuba would change as
a result of the communistruled island’s rapprochement
with Washington, but the
improvements will not happen
“overnight.”
“I don’t anticipate overnight
changes,”
Obama
told
reporters.
“It could happen fast. It
could happen slower than
U
I would like,” he added. But
“it’s going to happen, and this
change in policy is going to
advance that.”
But the US president, who
coordinated with his Cuban
counterpart Raul Castro on
the detence strategy that puts
the former foes on track to
normalize relations for the
first time in more than half
a century, dismissed the
possibility of any immediate
exchange of presidential visits.
“We’re not at a stage here
where me visiting Cuba or
President Castro coming
to the US is in the cards,”
Obama said in his final
press conference of the year.
“There’s nothing specific
where we’re trying to target
some sort of visit on my part.”
As part of the policy shift,
Obama has ordered his
administration to initiate
steps to re-open its embassy
and normalize ties. (AFP)
View of an Alebrije --brightly coloured papier-mache
sculpture of fantastical creatures- during an exhibition
at a street in Mexico Ciy on Friday. (AFP)
Global Action
Scientists make headway in tsunami warning
Miami
Kerry Sheridan
T
he 2004 tsunami led to
greater global cooperation
and improved techniques for
detecting waves that could
reach faraway shores, even
though scientists still cannot
predict when an earthquake
will strike.
The
world’s
main This file photo shows an Indonesian man carries some belongmonitoring body, the Pacific ings from his damaged shop in Banda Aceh, after the tsunami
Tsunami Warning Centre hit the area. (AFP)
headquartered at Hawaii’s
Ewa Beach, was focused
on volatile areas prone to
earthquakes along the Pacific
Ring of Fire, including Japan
and South America.
“We weren’t on the proper
footing to be able to quickly
respond to an event of the size
that it was,” Mike Angove,
tsunami programme branch
director at the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration said.
Australia, Indonesia and
India have now taken charge
of a monitoring body known
as the Indian Ocean Tsunami
Warning System. The US
nearly doubled its staff at the
Pacific Tsunami Warning
Centre, and its tsunami
warning centres in Hawaii and
Alaska continue to be staffed
24/7. International efforts are
also ramping up to establish a
tsunami warning centre in the
Mediterranean.
Scientists can measure the
waves that spread to faraway
shores with the help of buoys
known as DART.
Each unit has a pressure
gauge on the seafloor that
detects tsunami activity and
sends information by acoustic
modem to the buoy. Then, the
buoy sends the data by satellite
to the US tsunami warning
centres in Hawaii and Alaska,
where it is sent out over the
Internet. (AFP)
25
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Dear friends, best wishes for Rome’s bid to
host the 2024 Olympic
Games. I will not be
there. May the Lord
bless all of you and
your families
- Pope Francis
We will send a message
of solidarity and confirm the EU readiness to
deepen the relationship
with Iraq
- Federica Mogherini
Head of EU foreign affairs
And beyond halting
Ebola, we need to build
up health systems and
other infrastructure that
will forestall something
similar occurring in the
future
- Ban Ki-moon
UN chief
8 CHILDREN
KILLED IN OZ
Mother arrested
A Santa Claus waves at a girl at the InterContinental Hotel in
Beijing, on Friday. (AFP)
Cairns
Three babies among nine
migrants drowned off Morocco
Rabat
Three babies were among
nine illegal migrants who
died on Friday after their
inflatable vessel capsized off
the coast of Morocco, the
police said.
A police operation “rescued
21 people and recovered
nine bodies, three of whom
were babies,” according to
Islamist kidnap
‘unverified’: Nigeria
Lagos
Nigeria’s military on Friday
confirmed a deadly attack by
Boko Haram in the northeast
village of Gumsuri but said
reports of a mass kidnapping needed to be verified.
“Troops are patrolling the
general area of Gumsuri in
search of terrorists,” a statement from defence ministry
spokesman Chris Olukolade
said.
“Although it has been confirmed that some people
were killed by the terrorists
during the attack, the reported abductions as claimed by
unidentified sources being
quoted in some foreign
media is yet to be verified
from any credible sources in
the community,” he added.
At least 32 people were killed
in the attack that began late
Sunday and at least 185 others, mostly women and children, were kidnapped.
a statement from authorities
in the northern province of
Tangiers-Tetouan.
Tangiers and Tetouan are
some of the closest African
cities to Europe, where
southern Spain is visible to
the naked eye across the
Straits of Gibraltar. Hundreds
of migrants attempt the voyage each year.
O
ne of Australia’s worst
mass murders, leaving
eight children from the same
family dead, has left the city of
Cairns in shock.
The grim discovery of
the bodies of children aged
18 months to 15 years was
reportedly made by their
adult brother at their home
in Manoora, in the north
Queensland city’s west.
The mother of seven of the
children, 34, is being treated
for stab wounds to the chest.
Later reports confirmed her
Emergency crews go to work at the home where eight children
were found dead in Cairns suburb of Manoora, Australia. (AFP)
arrest by the police.
reassure the public that there
Detective Inspector Bruno were no concerns for anyone
Asnicar – who moved early to else’s safety – said it was
“very, very early days but she’s
in a stable condition”.
Lisa Thaiday, who said she
was the woman’s cousin, said it
was a 20-year-old sibling who
raised the alarm after finding
his brothers and sister dead.
It was the second high
profile tragedy to strike the
national psyche in days, with
the country still reeling from a
dramatic siege in Sydney which
left three dead.
Prime
minister
Tony
Abbott said the incident in
Cairns was “heartbreaking”
and an “unspeakable crime”.
(AFP)
Obama warns N. Korea over Sony hack
Washington
Susan Stumme
U
S
President
Barack
Obama on Friday warned
North Korea it would face
retaliation over a cyber attack
on Sony Pictures and pledged
not to bow to dictators, as an
envoy for Pyongyang denied
involvement.
Threats issued after the
November attack prompted
the movie giant to cancel the
Christmas Day release of “The
Interview,” a madcap satire
about a CIA plot to kill North
Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
The anonymous hackers
invoked the memory of
September 11, 2001 in
threatening attacks on cinemas
screening the film, prompting
major theater chains to say they
would not screen it.
In addition to the threats, Sony
has seen the release of a trove of
embarrassing emails, scripts and
other internal communications,
including information about
salaries and employee health
records. Obama, addressing
reporters after the FBI said
Pyongyang was to blame, said
Washington would never bow to
“some dictator”.
Bacteria in caramel apples kills 4 in US
Miami
listeria outbreak believed to
originate from commercially
packaged caramel apples has killed
at least four people in the United
States and sickened 28 people since
November, officials said on Friday.
Listeria monocytogenes is caused
by a bacteria and can cause lifethreatening illness. It is particularly
dangerous for children, the elderly and
pregnant women, in whom it can cause
miscarriage.
A total of 83 per cent of those
interviewed so far (15 of 18 people)
said they had recently eaten caramel-
A
coated apples. The US Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention urged
consumers in the United States not to
eat commercially produced, prepackaged
caramel apples until further notice.
“Out of an abundance of caution,
CDC recommends that US consumers
do not eat any commercially produced,
prepackaged caramel apples, including
plain caramel apples as well as those
containing nuts, sprinkles, chocolate,
or other toppings, until more specific
guidance can be provided,” the CDC
said in a statement.
Of the 28 infected, 26 were
hospitalized and five people died.
“Listeriosis contributed to at least four
of these deaths,” said the CDC.
Nine of the cases were pregnancyrelated and involved either mothers-
to-be or their newborn infants. Three
cases of meningitis -- a dangerous
complication of listeriosis -- among
otherwise healthy children aged five to
15 were also reported.
The illnesses have spread across 10
states. Listeria can cause fever, muscle
aches, nausea and diarrhea, and
symptoms typically begin within a few
days to a couple of months after eating
a contaminated product.
The bacteria is found in soil, water
and animal feces. Listeria can infect raw
vegetables, animal meat, unpasteurized
milk and processed foods such as
cheese dips and deli meats. (AFP)
26
Saturday, December 20, 2014
P.O. Box : 85, Kingdom of Bahrain, Tel : 17 736773,
Fax : 17 735650 e.mail : [email protected]
REQUIRES QUALIFIED TEACHERS FOR
ö
ö
ö
ENGLISH
KG
CHEMISTRY
Situation Vacant
A reputed British curriculum
school in Adliya requires an
ASSiStAnt teAcheR urgently in primary section. Qualified
candidate, must speak fluent
English and Tagalog. To apply,
please send your resume to:
[email protected]
Interior Design Company looking for professional inteRioR
deSiGneR with advanced 3D
skills & AutoCAD drafting. Attractive salary package and
benefits. Send you portfolio to:
[email protected]
...................................................
cuStomeR SeRvice role
available, must speak fluent
English and Arabic. For details
please email you CV to Info@
simply-casting.com
...................................................
ö
ö
MATHEMATICS
PRIMARY
Required teAcheRS, nAnnieS, nuRSeS, ASSiStAntS
for a nursery opening will be in
2015. If interested please send
your CV on littleones.bh@gmail.
com
...................................................
Admin SecRetARy for an import & export company. Should
have accounting background
and legal work experience
(Full-time). Email resume: [email protected]
...................................................
Urgently Required lv jointeRS with experience. Email:
[email protected]
...................................................
Urgently
Required
cctv,
AcceSS contRol, fiRe
AlARm / SecuRity SyStem
techniciAn with 2-3 years of
experience. Bahrain Driving Licence is an added advantage.
Forward your CV to: applybah@
gmail.com
...................................................
British curriculum school requires enGliSh lAnGuAGe
teAcheRS for intermediate
level. English mother tongue
preferred. Email CV to admin@
talentschools.com
...................................................
cuStomeR SeRvice role
available, must speak fluent
English and Arabic. For details
please email your CV to Info@
simply-casting.com
...................................................
A Reputed Company in Bahrain
urgently looking for outdooR
SAleSmAn for Ice Cream Factory. Requirements: The candidates should have extensive
outdoor sales experience; At
least 1-2 years of experience;
Can speak and understand
English; with valid Bahrain driving license. Interested candidate can apply with detailed CV
and full body pictures to Email:
[email protected]
...................................................
Interior Design Company looking for professional inteRioR
deSiGneR with advanced 3D
skills & AutoCAD drafting. Attractive salary package and
benefits. Send you portfolio to:
[email protected]
...................................................
Urgently Required SecuRity
GuARdS,
motoRcycle
RideRS, PAStRy, chef in
food decoRAtion, chef
in SweetS, tABle SeRviceS StAff And dininG
ReStAuRAnt SuPeRviSoR.
Kindly send CV to hradprt@
gmail.com
...................................................
Apex Properties require PRoPeRty mAnAGeRS. Previous
experience + driving licence
essential. Salary+ commission.
Send CV to info@apexbahrain.
com
...................................................
Looking for a professional well
experienced femAle PhotoGRAPheR / videoGRAPheR who is willing to work full
time at my company based in
the Kingdom of Bahrain / Email:
[email protected]
...................................................
Arabic & English speaking ladies (age 22 to 35) required for
promoting a well known FMCG
product on a permanent basis
(1 year contract). Good salary
provided. Please send CV to
[email protected]
Flat For rent
AmwAj apartment for Rent in
tala island with two bedrooms,
laundry room, overlooking the
sea, open kitchen, Parking,
swimming
pool,
Gym,
supermarket and restaurants,
for rent at a price of BD 700 only.
Email: [email protected]
..................................................
AmwAj 3 bedroom villa for
rent in the floating city, Rent:
BD 1300. Email: [email protected]
..................................................
Seef, Luxury 1 bedroom fully
furnished apartment in Era
Tower, with stunning sea view,
modern fittings and furniture,
inclusive of all bills and Wifi
Pool, Gym, Steam and Sauna
rooms, Tennis court, Kids play
area. Contact: 3974 6444
..................................................
eASt RiffA a brand new
commercial offices for rent, 2
bedroom 2 bathroom, prices
start from BD 250 - BD 260 - BD
270 Contact: 3345 1108
..................................................
GAful flat for rent, 2 bedroom
1 bathroom 1 kitchen hall with
AC. Rent: BD 250. Contact:
39711001
..................................................
juffAiR fully furnished 2
bedroom, 2 bathroom flat for
rent with all faculties, pool,
gym, covered parking (24 hrs)
security
and
maintenance
monthly. Rent 500 all inclusive.
Contact: 3388 7055
..................................................
RiffA 2 bed room 2 bath
room flat for rent near lulu
hypermarket, family only. Rent:
BD 200. Contact: 6633 3304
..................................................
muhARRAq 1 room semi
furnished flat for rent, all inclusive
electricity
+
municipality.
Walking distance of Muharraq
central market, and Muhharraq
souq. Call : 39970707
..................................................
BudAiyA hiGhwAy semi
furnished villa for rent, 3
bedroom 3 bath room, car
parking store house, maid’s
room, pool, washing machine,
air
conditioning,
garden,
exclusive
of
municipality,
electricity and water. For viewing
call: 33887055
Saturday, December 20, 2014
27
Outdoor Catering
Team Offers
Choice of high quality.
Tailor made menus for Non-Veg & Veg.
Professional Party Set-up & Supervision.
Catering for any number of guests.
Attractive rates.
Reservations: + 973 17728699
Turkey crown
wiTh orange
IngredIents:
For the turkey
•
2.2kg/4lb14ozturkeycrown
•
2tspchoppedthymeleaves
•
50g/1¾ozbutter,softened
•
2smalloranges,onethinlysliced,onecutinhalf
•
1-2tbspvegetableoil
For the gravy
•
3tbspplainflour
•
6tbspport
•
450ml/¾pinthotturkeyorchickenstock
•
splashWorcestershiresauce
•
2tbspsoysauce
•
saltandfreshlygroundblackpepper
[email protected]
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Loosen the skin on the turkey crown by pushing your fingers
(or rubber spatula) between the skin and the meat, moving it
around to get to the tricky places and taking care not to tear
the skin.
3. Mix the thyme leaves with the softened butter until well
combined, then smear the mixture underneath the skin of the
bird. Arrange the orange slices in two neat rows under the skin,
on top of the herb butter.
4. Place one of the orange halves under the skin at the neck end of
the bird, and any orange trimmings in the neck cavity.
5. Transfer the turkey crown to a small roasting tray. Rub all over
with the oil and season with salt and freshly ground black
pepper. Roast in the oven for about 1½-2 hours, or until the
juices run clear when the turkey is pierced in the thickest part
with a skewer and no traces of pink remain. During cooking,
check the turkey every 30 minutes, baste occasionally and
cover with aluminium foil if it is browning too quickly.
6. About 15 minutes before the end of cooking, squeeze the juice
from the remaining half-orange over the turkey. Return the
turkey to the oven, uncovered, to allow the skin to crisp up.
7. Transfer the turkey crown to a serving platter and set aside to
rest, covered in foil, for 30 minutes. Reserve the meat juices left
in the roasting tray.
8. For the gravy, pour the juices from the roasting tray into a jug
and allow to settle. Skim all but 4 tablespoons of the fat from
the top, then tip the remaining gravy into a saucepan and heat
over a medium heat until the gravy is just simmering.
9. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and well combined,
then pour in the port and stock and whisk again until smooth.
Continue to simmer the gravy until it starts to thicken, then add a
few drops of Worcestershire sauce and the soy sauce.
10. Bring the gravy to the boil, adding any remaining turkey juices
released while the meat was resting. Season, to taste, with salt
and freshly ground black pepper, then decant into a warmed
serving jug and serve with the turkey.
17256470
1.
2.
PrePArAtIOn
17579869
hoNda aCCord, 2005 model
for sale. KM 137000, Engine
Size 2001-3000CC. Price BD
2,500. Contact: 33833390
...................................................
CItroeN C4, 2006 model for
sale. Engine Size 1000-2000
CC. Price BD 650. Contact:
39144218
...................................................
MItsubIshI laNCer, 2009
model for sale. KM 127000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price
BD 2,500. Contact: 33055827
...................................................
NIssaN arMada, 2004 model
for sale. KM 173000, engine
Size 4000+CC. Price BD 4,500.
Contact: 39977886
...................................................
audI a1, 2011 model for sale.
KM 42000, engine Size 10002000CC. Price BD 6,500. Contact: 38383409
...................................................
toyota Corolla, 2010
model for sale. KM 94400, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price
BD 3,700. Contact: 36605926
...................................................
Mazda 3, 2008 model for sale.
KM 100000, engine Size 10002000CC. Price BD 2,500. Contact: 35104654
...................................................
CheVrolet tahoe, 2008
model for sale. KM 68400, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD
7,400. Contact: 39912301
...................................................
ford foCus, 2004 model for
sale. KM 173000, engine Size
1000-2000CC. Price BD 950.
Contact: 35392897
...................................................
MItsubIshI laNCer, 2009
model for sale. KM 79000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price
BD 2,200. Contact: 35004377
...................................................
ford foCus, 2004 model for
sale. KM 173000, engine Size
1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,150.
Contact: 35392897
...................................................
bMw 3-serIes, 2008 model
for sale. KM 96000, engine Size
2001-3000CC. Price BD 7,200.
Contact: 39265885
...................................................
Chrysler 300M/300C, 2003
model for sale. Engine Size
3001-4000CC. Price BD 1,100.
Contact: 33558876
...................................................
NIssaN altIMa, 2008 model
for sale. Engine Size 20013000CC. Price BD 2,800. Contact: 36100026
...................................................
Mazda CX-9, 2008 model for
sale. KM 177000, engine Size
3001-4000CC. Price BD 4,800.
Contact: 36991412
...................................................
toyota solara, 2006 model for sale. Engine Size 20013000CC. Price BD 4,200. Contact: 38333612
...................................................
leXus for sale, 1994 model
for sale, engine Size 30014000CC. Price: BD 900 Contact: 39787787
...................................................
NIssaN pathfINder, 2003
model for sale, engine Size
2001-3000 CC. Price BD 2,250.
Contact: 35392897
...................................................
hoNda aCCord, 2007 model for sale. KM 112000, price
BD 3,400. Engine Size 20013000CC. Contact: 33936825
...................................................
MItsubIshI laNCer, 2008
model for sale, engine Size
2001-3000CC. Price BD 1,900.
Contact: 32229226
...................................................
38444695
MINI Cooper, 2011 model for
sale. KM 60000, engine Size
1000-2000CC. Price BD 5,200.
Contact: 33355790
...................................................
Chrysler 300M/300C, 2012
model for sale. KM 68000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD
8,800. Contact: 36640466
...................................................
NIssaN pathfINder, 2002
model for sale. KM 135000, Engine Size 2001-3000CC. Price
BD 2,000. Contact: 33904051
...................................................
Mazda 3, 2008 model for sale.
KM 86000, engine Size 10002000CC. Price BD 1,925. Contact: 38013420
...................................................
GMC yukoN, 2004 model for
sale. Engine Size 4000+CC.
Price BD 3,500. Contact:
36704044
...................................................
NIssaN tIIda, 2012 model for
sale. KM 68000, engine Size
1000-2000CC. Price BD 3,400.
Contact: 36706067
...................................................
VolkswaGeN
CC,
2014
model for sale. KM 8500, Engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price
BD 10,400. Contact: 33620118
...................................................
CheVrolet
traIlblazer, 2004 model for sale. KM
170000, engine Size 4000+CC.
Price BD 2,000. Contact:
36039002
...................................................
toyota fortuNer, 2013
model for sale. KM 33000, engine size 2001-3000CC. Price
BD 8,000. Contact: 34443543
...................................................
hoNda Cr-VeNGINe, 1998
model for sale, engine size
1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,200.
Contact: 33285528
...................................................
INfINItI fX45/fX35, 2006
model for sale. Engine Size
3001-4000CC. Price BD 4,700.
Contact: 33276252
...................................................
INfINItI G-serIes, 2008 model for sale, engine Size 30014000CC. Price BD 5,800. Contact: 33276252
...................................................
hyuNdaI tuCsoN, 2009
model for sale, engine Size
2001-3000CC. Price BD 3,000.
Contact: 33276252
...................................................
MerCedes-beNz s-Class,
2002 model for sale. engine
Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD
2,000. Contact: 33150489
...................................................
hoNda aCCord, 2010 model
for sale. KM 73452, engine Size
3001-4000CC. Price BD 5,299.
Contact: 38808449
...................................................
NIssaN suNNy, 2004 model
for sale. KM 105000, engine
Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD
1,650. Contact: 34129197
...................................................
NIssaN Xterra, 2010 model
for sale. KM 81000, engine Size
3001-4000CC. Price BD 5,700.
Contact: 33054520
...................................................
ford foCus, 2006 model for
sale. KM 135000, engine Size
1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,300.
Contact: 36065004
...................................................
CadIllaC esCalade, 2008
modle for sale. KM 22000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD
5,200. Contact: 33182795
...................................................
MaseratI Quattroporte, 2005
model for sale. KM 19000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD
6,995. Contact: 33355790
...................................................
MerCedes-beNz
S-Class,
2006 model for sale. KM 70000,
engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD
8,900. Contact: 33355790
...................................................
NIssaN suNNy, 2003 model
for sale. KM 200000, engine
Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD
1,400. Contact: 38181284
...................................................
GMC aCadIa, 2008 model for
sale. KM 115000, engine Size
3001-4000CC. Price BD 5,500.
Contact: 35580622
...................................................
NIssaN altIMa, 2012 model
for sale. KM 44000, engine Size
2001-3000CC. Price BD 5,000.
Contact: 39541177
...................................................
NIssaN altIMa, 2005 model
for sale. Engine Size 20013000CC. Price BD 1,500. Contact: 34064033
...................................................
leXus es-serIes, 2008 model for sale. Engine Size30014000CC . Price BD 8,000. Contact: 36611106
...................................................
NIssaN altIMa, 2012 model
for sale. KM 53000, engine Size
2001-3000CC. Price BD 4,800.
Contact: 39541177
...................................................
kIa CarNIVal, 2004 model for
sale. KM 162437, engine Size
2001-3000CC. Price BD 1,000.
Contact: 33718885
...................................................
hyuNdaI Galloper, 2002
model for sale. KM 220000, engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price
BD 1,300. Contact: 37737756
...................................................
hoNda Cr-V, 1998 model
for sale. Engine Size 10002000CC. Price BD 1,250. Contact: 33071582
...................................................
Jeep GraNd Cherokee,
2000 model for sale. KM 150000,
engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD
950. Contact: 34556227
...................................................
Reaching the right audience
DINE OUT
28
Saturday, December 20, 2014
BLAKE GALLOPS TO VICTORY
National Day Cup
DT News Network
utsider William Blake
owned by Al Nasseriyeh,
trained by Allan Smith and
ridden by Brett Doyle won the
feature race for the National
Day Cup by a short head which
was open to imported handicap
(0-15) horses over 2,400 metres
and worth BD5,000 metres in
prize money yesterday at the
seventh meeting of the season
at the Rashid Equestrian and
Horse Racing Club in Sakhir.
Coming in second place was
the favourite Azizi owned by
Mohammed Juma Mohammed
Hassan, trained by Sami
Saloom and ridden by Kieren
Fox by two and a half lengths
ahead of third placed Maali
owned by Jenna Ebrahim Al
Afoo, trained by Mohammed
Hassan and ridden by Hassan
Al Saffar. The second favourite
Unex El Greco owned by H
and R Stables, trained by Allan
O
An action from the race
Smith and ridden by Tristan
Normand was a further three
and a half lengths behind in
fourth.
In the sixth race for the
Al Hawaj Cup for all classes
of imported four years and
upwards over 1,200 metres
and worth BD2,000, the
winner was the favourite
World Congress focuses
on building new system
Abdulrahman Askar, second from right, Dr Adel El Nashar, right, and other speakers.
DT News Network
he second and penultimate
day of the 56th ICHPER.SD
Anniversary World Congress
and Exposition, being held
in the Kingdom of Bahrain,
focused on the conference
all-new theme “Towards
Building a New Sport System”.
It is being organised by the
Bahrain Olympic Committee
(BOC) in partnership with
the International Council for
Health, PhysicalEducation,
Recreation,
Sports
and
Dance (ICHPER.SD) and the
University of Bahrain (UoB).
Speaking at yesterday’s opening
session at the Crown Plaza
Hotel, honorary president of
T
ICHPER.SD Dr Dong Ja Yang
said the theme encapsulates
the great purpose of the
conference.
“This represents a true
challenge to bring it all together
- ICHPER professionals,
institutions and organisations
throughout the world, for
reexamining and sharing our
current dimensions of beliefs,
knowledge and wisdom to
build new direction for the
future through the process of
this world congress,” said Dr
Yang.
“It is my very special pleasure
to deliver this keynote with the
topic ‘a sustainable Olympic
movement for all nations – a
celebration not only for the
countries of the haves but also
for countries of the have-nots”.
Dr Yang started his keynote
by thanking Supreme Council
for Youth and Sports chairman
and
Bahrain
Olympic
Committee president Shaikh
Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa
for patronising this event.
He
extended
his
appreciation and gratitude to
BOC general secretary and
chairman of the Executive
Committee of the conference
Abdulrahman Askar and to
all the organising committee
members on their efforts in
preparing for this international
forum.
Pitkin
owned
by
Al
Nasseriyeh, trained by Allan
Smith and ridden by Brett
Doyle by a neck ahead of Lui
Rei owned by Fawzi Abdulla
Nass, trained by Fawzi Nass
and ridden by Hussain Makki.
Half a length behind in third
place was Ex owned by H and
R Stables, trained by Allan
Smith and ridden by Tristan
Normand and a further two
and a half lengths behind in
fourth was Target Acquired
owned by Hadi Ebrahim Al
Afoo, trained by Mohammed
Hassan and ridden by Ali Al
Saffar.
Other results (horse/jockey):
Race 1: Al Hawaj Cup
for all classes of locally bred
4 years and Upwards over
1,200m straight BD1,500.
1 No Doubt/Brett Doyle, 2
Mr Tango/Tristan Normand,
3 Barraqah/Ali Al Saffar, 4
Yaqouta/Hussain Makki.
Race 2: Bahrain Olympic
Committee Cup for all classes
of Arabian horses 4 years and
upwards over 1,200m BD3,000.
1. Rabdan 1556/Hussain
Makki, 2. Al Saqlawy 1517/Ali
Hassan, 3. Kuheilan Al Adiyat
1587/Ahmed Akbar, 4. Al
Saqlawy 1564/Hassan Al Saffar.
Race 3: For all classes of
locally bred maidens 4 years
and upwards over 1,600m
BD1,500. 1. Gangnam Style/
Kieren Fox, 2. Satellite/Adrian
Nicholls, 3. Unum Et
Unicum/Brett Doyle, 4.
Hashaara/Ali Al Saffar..
Race 4: Al Hawaj Cup for all
classes of imported 4 years and
upwards over 1,600m BD1,500.
1. Potentate/Adrian Nicholls,
2. Android/Kieren Fox, 3.
Muraweg/Hussain Makki, 4.
Sahaal/Hassan Al Saffar.
Race 5: For locally bred 3rd,
4th and maiden class 4 years
and upwards over 2,000m
BD1,500. 1. Riyaah/Hassan
Al Saffar, 2. Jock The Scott/
Adrian Nicholls, 3. Tayyar/
Mohammed Saeed, 4. Fiyadh/
Ali Al Saffar.
Raed Mahmood, Salman Isa placed 19 and 21
DT News Network
ahrain Royal Endurance
team members Raed
Mahmood
and
Salman
Isa proved themselves in
the Saeed bin Hamdan
Endurance Challenge, when
they were placed 19th and
21st respectively in the event,
held yesterday at Dubai
International Endurance City
with more than 300 riders
taking part. The race was held
under the patronage of Dubai
Deputy Ruler Sheikh Hamdan
bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Supreme Council for Youth
and Sports Chairman, Bahrain
Olympic Committee President
and Royal Endurance Team
leader HH Shaikh Nasser bin
Hamad Al Khalifa was keen
to follow up on his team
B
participating in the challenge,
which is considered as one
of the most grueling and
competitive races of the UAE
season. Shaikh Nasser met team
members before the race and
discussed with them the four
stages and was keen to follow
up on the riders progress in all
four legs of the event.
The Bahrain Royal Team
also included Mohammed Al
Thawadi and Abdulrahman Al
Sa’ad. This race was for horses
aged six years and over, with
all participants competing
across four stages of distances
40km, 30km, 30km and 20km,
respectively. Said Al Mazroui
from MRM Stable team
clinched first place, followed
by Abdulla Ghanim Al Marri
from F3 Stables in second,
while Mansoor Al Faresi from
MRM Stable came third.
During the race, Shaikh
Nasser met UAE Vice
President, Prime Minister
and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, as well as Deputy
Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and
Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum.
Shaikh Nasser expressed
his appreciation to Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid for
following up the race to assure
all its regulatory procedures,
stressing that this superb
organisation is not strange
to the UAE who are always
accustomed to excellence in
hosting all races.
Timmermans win title
DT News Network
utchman
Jesse
T i m m e r m a n s
comfortably clinched the
men’s super singles title when
he defeated Frenchman Ossel
Hered 6-1, 6-1 in the final
late on Thursday evening in
the Indian Club Centenary
Tennis Tournament played
at its premises in Gudaibiya.
Timmermans had reached
the final after successfully
defeating Bahrain’s Yousif
Qaed in the semi-finals and
Hered had overcome the
challenge of Fahad from
Saudi Arabia.
The super singles featured
players from France, Holland,
D
Second from left, Jesse Timmermans, third left Jic Jic Bohol with
organising officials
Philippines, GCC countries
and local players including
Bahrain national team players.
In the men’s singles final, Jic
Jic Bohol of the Philippines
also comfortably won in
straight sets 6-2, 6-2 against
Bahrain’s Rashid Obaidly.
The tournament run during
the month of December also
comprised men’s doubles,
veteran’s singles/doubles,
mixed doubles, under-18 boys
singles and ladies singles.
29
DAVID IN FINALS
Saturday, December 20, 2014
World Squash Championships
Cairo
W
orld number one Nicol
David reached her
eighth world final after a rare
ordeal yesterday, coming back
from two games to one down
to defeat Egypt’s Omneya
Kawy 11-9, 9-11, 8-11,
11-5, 11-5. It was a mental
triumph for David with the
cool court perfect for Kawy’s
shot-making brilliance, the
atmosphere becoming more
frenzied with every winner
the home heroine struck, and
at 3-3 in the fourth game
the top seed was in plenty of
difficulty. It was then that
David constructed a run of
six points which changed the
character of the match.
Her patient rallying, clever
containment, and unflagging
court coverage increasingly
taxed
Kawy’s
physical
resources and elicited more
errors, and once David had
her opponent on the hook she
Origi set to leave
Lille for Liverpool
Lille
elgian forward Divock
Origi will cut short a
season-long loan at Lille in
January to return to parent
club Liverpool, who will pay six
million euros for the privilege,
according to a source close
to the deal. The 19-year-old,
who was bought by Liverpool
from Lille in the summer for a
reported £10m after impressing
for Belgium at the World Cup,
was immediately loaned back
to the Ligue 1 side for the
duration of this season.
However,
the
loan
agreement included a clause
allowing Liverpool to take
B
Origi back in the January
transfer window for six million
euros if they needed attacking
reinforcements. And with
Mario Balotelli struggling to
make an impact at the Anfield
club and Brendan Rodgers’s
side enduring a difficult
campaign, it now appears that
they will move to boost their
attack in January. Lille coach
Rene Girard had on several
occasions denied reports that
Origi was on his way out of the
club despite rumours to the
contrary, but the French side
could not refuse such an offer
as they are currently struggling
financially. (AFP)
Nicol David
never let her off. “I’m really
pleased to come through 3-2
(in games) against a really
sharp, in-form Omneya who
was composed throughout
the match,” said David. “I
have played her many times,
and sometimes it goes after
a while,” she added, referring
to Kawy’s stamina in lengthy
matches. “But she didn’t let it
go. “She thrives on confidence
and so for me to come back
from 2-1 down was pleasing.
I didn’t want to let her get
in there in the fourth game,”
David emphasised.
In the final David may
have to endure another trial
by an excited home crowd
and a talented Egyptian.
This time it will be an even
more dangerous opponent,
the third-seeded Raneem el
Weleily, who also showed a
wide range of shot-making
brilliance while beating
the surprise semi-finalist,
Alison Waters, 11-6, 11-9,
9-11, 11-5.
National Day endurance
race begins today
Veterinary examination of horses progressing.
DT News Network
he
National
Day
Endurance Race gets
underway today starting
at 7am at the Bahrain
International
Endurance
Village in Sakhir. The race,
being held under the patronage
of Supreme Council for Youth
and Sports Chairman and
Bahrain Olympic Committee
T
Divock Origi
President HH Shaikh Nasser
bin Hamad Al Khalifa, is
being over a distance of 120km
with an 80km qualification
race also taking place. The
veterinary
examination
of horses was conducted
yesterday, supervised by the
veterinary committee chaired
by Dr. Abbas Al Haiki who
stressed that all administrative
procedures in the veterinary
examination went smoothly
and in accordance to the
adopted laws in this regard.
Bahrain Royal Equestrian
and Endurance Federation
(BREEF) General Secretary
Ghalib Al Alawi stressed
that BREEF has prepared the
village to embrace the race,
and finished all administrative
procedures in this regard. He
praised the support of Shaikh
Nasser and the follow-up
of BREEF President Shaikh
Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa,
and for all actions taken by the
federation for the start of the
season, which forms a strong
motivation for all the working
committees in order to finish
all tasks entrusted to them.
Spurs shine brightest powered by young talents
Los Angeles
he NBA’s defining moment
in 2014 was supposed to be
the San Antonio Spurs return
to championship glory, but
that was before the Donald
Sterling saga took on a life of its
T
own. With the perfect blend
of youth and experience,
the Spurs dismantled the
Miami Heat in one of the
most lop-sided finals in league
history, showing the two-time
defending champions that the
secret to long-term success
is strong leadership and
developing young talent.
Future hall of famers Tim
Duncan, Tony Parker and
Manu Ginobili teamed up to
lead the Spurs past the Heat
in five games. For France’s
Parker and Argentina’s
Ginobili it was their fourth
ring with the Spurs. For the
Virgin Islands-born Duncan
and coach Gregg Popovich it
marked five rings together.
Duncan said number five
means the most. The Spurs
dismantling of the Heat
in the finals exposed the
strengths of one team and the
glaring weakness of another.
San Antonio’s future is in
good hands with 23-yearold Kawhi Leonard who
was named finals MVP in
June. The Spurs had better
teamwork and more depth,
while the Heat put their faith
in superstar James.
30
Saturday, December 20, 2014
KIWIS THUMP PAK
New Zealand beat Pakistan to take series 3-2
Abu Dhabi
kipper Kane Williamson
and Ross Taylor hit halfcenturies while paceman Matt
Henry recorded career best
bowling figures as New Zealand
thumped Pakistan by 68 runs
in the fifth and final onedayer in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Williamson’s 97 and Taylor’s
88 were the cornerstone of
New Zealand’s 275-4 before
Henry’s 5-30 helped dismiss
Pakistan for 207 in 43.3 overs
for a 3-2 series win at Sheikh
Zayed Stadium. Pakistan won
the first match in Dubai by
three wickets and the third in
Sharjah by 147 runs while New
Zealand took the second by
four wickets and the fourth
game by seven runs.
Henry took the first
three of the four wickets as
Pakistan were struggling at
SCOREBOARD
S
Pakistan v New Zealand fifth ODI
New Zealand
M. Guptill c Shafiq b Irfan
D. Brownlie lbw b Babar
K. Williamson c Ahmed b Afridi
R. Taylor not out
L. Ronchi c Afridi b Irfan
T. Latham not out
8
34
97
88
16
22
Total: (for four wkts; 50 overs)
New Zealand’s cricketers pose with the winning trophy
38-3 before Haris Sohail (65)
and Ahmed Shehzad (54) put
on 69 for the fourth wicket.
Henry then returned for
his second spell to dismiss
Shehzad followed by Sarfraz
Ahmed (26) and Shahid
Afridi (13) to improve on
his previous best of 4-38
on debut against India at
Wellington in January
this year. This becomes
Pakistan’s 12th defeat in the
final games of a series after
they were tied at 1-1 or 2-2.
Their only win came against
Zimbabwe in 2012. Defeat
left Pakistan without a one-
Hart inks new
City contract
Pakistan
Nasir Jamshed lbw b Henry
day series win in 2014 after
losing in Sri Lanka 2-1 and to
Australia 3-0.
Pakistan were off to a
disastrous start when opener
Nasir Jamshed was leg-before
wicket in the first over to
Henry for nought. Henry
then had Younis Khan (12)
Cook set to be axed
London
Alastair Cook is set to be
dismissed as captain of
England’s one-day team
ahead of the World Cup
after the opener’s miserable run of form, according
to reports yesterday. Cook
has scored just one fifty in
his last 22 one-day innings
for England. Selectors are
reported to have decided
to axe Cook as skipper at
a meeting yesterday, with
the Daily Telegraph saying
Eoin Morgan is now set to
lead the side for the triseries in Australia.
275
0
Ahmed Shehzad c Williamson b Henry
Younis Khan c Ronchi b Henry
Asad Shafiq lbw b Devcich
Haris Sohail b McClenaghan
Umar Akmal c Guptill b McClenaghan
Sarfraz Ahmed c Ronchi b Henry
Shahid Afridi c Taylor b Henry
Anwar Ali st Ronchi b McCullum
Zulfiqar Babar b Milne
Mohammad Irfan not out
Total: (all out; 43.3 overs)
and Shehzad (54) to leave
Pakistan struggling at 107-4.
In between, Anton Devcich
had Asad Shafiq (seven) and
Nathan McCullum dismissed
Umar Akmal for six. Sohail hit
five fours and a six off 74 balls
while Shehzad’s knock of 81
balls had only two boundaries.
Pearson given
one-match ban
London
Leicester City manager
Nigel Pearson was given
a one-match touchline
ban and a £10, fine following his foul-mouthed
rant at a fan last month.
Pearson had a personal
hearing in front of an
Independent Regulatory
Commission
yesterday after accepting the
Football Association’s
charge of using “abusive
and/or insulting words
towards a spectator”
during Leicester’s 3-1
defeat by Liverpool.
54
12
7
65
6
26
13
18
2
0
207
Shehzad was caught while
Sohail was bowled by
Mitchell
McClenaghan,
ending Pakistan’s hopes of
a win. Afridi found enough
positives despite the loss
with the World Cup in
February and March fast
approaching. (AFP)
Michael Phelps gets
suspended sentence
Baltimore
Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps was
given a one-year suspended sentence and
18 months probation
yesterday after pleading
guilty to drunk driving
and speeding. Phelps
-- the most decorated
Olympian of all time
-- was also ordered by
Maryland district court
judge Nathan Braverman
to continue receiving
treatment for alcoholism
after the September incident.
Ecclestone returns to F1 board
Joe Hart
London
anchester
City
goalkeeper Joe Hart
signed a new contract yesterday
which will keep him with the
Premier League champions
until 2019. City manager
Manuel Pellegrini had revealed
earlier this month that talks
with Hart were approaching
a successful conclusion and
the England international has
now been rewarded with an
M
improved deal. The 27-yearold has reestablished himself
as City’s number one over the
past year after being dropped
by Pellegrini for a short spell
following a series of errors in
the first half of last season. “I’m
really happy, I’ve been here
a long time now and I want
to keep that going,” Hart told
City’s official website.
Hart, who joined City
in a £600,000 move from
Shrewsbury Town in 2006,
made his breakthrough during
a loan spell at Birmingham City
in 2009-10 and returned to City
to supplant Shay Given as first
choice the following season. He
has since helped City win two
Premier League titles, the FA
Cup and League Cup in his 276
appearances for the club. Hart
is the latest City star to extend
his stay at Eastlands following
Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko,
Aleksandar Kolarov, Samir
Nasri and David Silva. (AFP)
Paris
ormula One’s commercial
ringmaster
Bernie
Ecclestone has rejoined the
board of the Formula One
group which runs the sport
after stepping down to fight
his bribery case in Germany.
The 84-year-old F1 supremo’s
reappointment was confirmed
by F1’s official Twitter account
yesterday. Ecclestone, who has
run Formula One since 1978,
was joined on the board - as
non-executive directors - by
former Ferrari chairman Luca
F
Bernie Ecclestone
di Montezemolo and Paul
Walsh, former CEO of drinks
giant Diageo.
In August, Ecclestone
settled his bribery case after
arranging a controversial
$100
million
payment.
Ecclestone went on trial in
April on charges of paying a
$44m bribe to a Bavarian state
bank executive for help in
maintaining his four-decade
grip on F1. A settlement is
allowed in German criminal
cases if the prosecution, the
aggrieved parties and the
court agree.
31
Saturday, December 20, 2014
West Indies 76-2, trail South Africa
PHILANDER THE DESTROYER
Centurion
ernon Philander was
the main destroyer as
the West Indian batting
crumbled on the third day
of the first Test against
South Africa at SuperSport
Park yesterday. Philander
took four for 29 as the West
Indies were bowled out for
201 and forced to follow
on, 351 runs behind South
Africa’s first innings total
of 552 for five declared.
Philander struck again early
in the second innings when
he dismissed Devon Smith
for the second time in the
day. West Indies were 76 for
two at the close, still needing
275 runs to avoid an innings
defeat.
There was a setback for
South Africa, however, as
strike bowler Dale Steyn
SCOREBOARD
V
South Africa, first innings, 552-5 declared
West Indies, first innings
K. Brathwaite c Amla b Philander
34
D. Smith c De Villiers b Philander
35
L. Johnson c sub (Peterson) b Abbott
31
M. Samuels b Morkel
33
S. Chanderpaul c Petersen b Philander 21
J. Blackwood c Petersen b Philander
12
D. Ramdin c Van Zyl b Elgar
14
J. Taylor c and b Morkel
4
S. Benn not out
6
S. Cottrell b Morkel
2
Vernon Philander (centre) celebrates after taking the wicket of
West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwodd (right).
limped off the field after
bowling only five balls in
the follow on innings. Steyn
returned after the second
afternoon drinks break,
however, and was on the field
long enough to be eligible to
bowl at the start of Saturday’s
play. Philander, who had
taken only four wickets at
high cost in his previous four
Test matches, did not take a
Van Gaal waiting
for ‘perfect’ United
Louis Van Gaal
Manchester
ouis van Gaal has told
his predecessor Alex
Ferguson he is still far from
happy
with
Manchester
United’s performances despite
an impressive run that has
catapulted them into the
Premier League top three.
At least the United manager
looks set to have record signing
Angel di Maria available for
the busy holiday schedule of
games after his recovery from
a hamstring tear. But, despite
visiting Aston Villa at the
weekend with six consecutive
victories behind him, van Gaal
insists he is still waiting for
his team to put together the
“perfect” performance. “I’m
not only focused on results
although of course that is the
main, important thing,” he said
L
South Africa v West Indies
yesterday. “When I speak with
Sir Alex, he says, ‘No problem,
you have won!’ “But for me, it
is also the performance that is
very important because when
you perform well, you shall win
more.
Di Maria, who suffered a
slight hamstring tear in the
3-0 victory against Hull three
games ago, has made a speedy
recovery from the injury
although van Gaal wants him
to regain match fitness before
throwing the £59.7 million
forward back into first team
action. “He trained with us
this week so it now depends
on how he compares with
other players,” said van Gaal.
“He is not match fit after one
week so he has to follow a
procedure. It was the same
with (Robin) van Persie
or (Radamel) Falcao, it’s a
procedure.” Falcao is still far
from convincing his manager
that he has found his full
match fitness. The Colombian
forward, who is on a seasonlong loan at Old Trafford, has
not started a game since the
first week in October and has
scored just one goal in three
starts all season. His lack of
fitness has led to speculation
that his stay at United will
not be permanent and van
Gaal admits that it has been
impossible to make a decision
so far.
“He didn’t play so much
then you cannot see too much
of a player and he didn’t train
so much because he was a lot
of time he has been injured,
so first you have to be fit,” said
van Gaal. (AFP)
wicket in his opening spell
yesterday but transformed the
match when he came back for
a second spell. After a good
start by opening batsmen
Kraigg Brathwaite and Smith,
the West Indian batting
disintegrated in dispiriting
fashion.
Nyman wins Val
Gardena downhill
Val Gardena
Steven Nyman won yesterday’s men’s downhill, the American’s third
World Cup win, all on Val
Gardena’s Saslong slope.
Nyman clocked a time
of 1min 55.89sec to beat
Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud by
31 hundredths of a second,
and Italy’s Dominik Paris
(1:15).
The 32-year-old United
States skier was adding to
his wins in Val Gardena in
2006 and, after six injuryblighted years, in 2012.
“I’ve always felt comfortable here from the first day
I arrived,” Nyman told.
“In 2005, I said I like this hill.
I could see what I needed
to do and I was ready to do
it. And I crashed and the
next year, I won. And then
the next year, I crashed. It
treats me well and sometimes it slaps me.”
“It was different this year
because the snow is so
thin, you’re basically feeling the fields underneath
the snow.”
“It’s rattly the whole way
down the hill. And you
have to keep driving over
that and show it who’s
boss, or it will show you
who’s boss.”
K. Roach absent injured
Total (60.2 overs)
201
West Indies, second innings (following on)
K. Brathwaite c Petersen b Morkel
20
D. Smith c sub (Bavuma) b Philander
5
L. Johnson not out
33
M. Samuels not out
13
Extras (lb2, w2)
4
Total (2 wkts, 27 overs)
Brathwaite and Smith saw
off South Africa’s new ball
attack, putting on 72 for the
first wicket before Philander
dismissed both openers in
successive overs. The righthanded Brathwaite looked
solid and well organised from
the start but the left-handed
Kalou threatens
to quit Hertha
Berlin
Ivory Coast forward
Salomon Kalou believes
the Hertha Berlin team
should be built around
him and has threatened to
leave the Bundesliga side
unless he plays more.
Having made more than
70 international appearances in a career which
included six years at
Chelsea, where he won
the 2012 Champions
League title, the Premier
League in 2010 and the FA
Cup four times, Kalou feels
he should be better used
at Hertha.
“I think you should treat a
player like me a little better,” the 29-year-old, who
joined Hertha from Lille in
August for a reported 1.8
million euros, told.
Ex-Borussia Dortmund
striker Julian Schieber has
risen above him in the
Berlin pecking order by
scoring in each of his last
three games. Kalou scored
the last of his five league
goals in 12 appearances
this season, but has started only seven of Hertha’s
16 Bundesliga matches
and singled out Berlin’s
Dutch coach Jos Luhukay
for complaint.
76
Smith survived a confident
appeal -- and an unsuccessful
review -- for leg before wicket
by Philander with his score
on five in the second over.
Smith went on to make 35
before being caught behind
off Philander’s fourth ball of
his second spell. (AFP)
FIFA to ban 3rd-party
player ownership
Marrakech
FIFA will ban third-party
ownership of players
from May 1 next year,
ending a system which
critics claim breeds corruption but whose advocates insist is a crucial
financial lifeline for poorer clubs.
“The ban will come into
force on May 1, 2015,”
said a FIFA statement following a decision taken
by the world body’s executive committee yesterday.
“Existing agreements
shall continue to be in
place until their contractual expiry. New agreements made between
1 January and 30 April
2015 will be subject to a
time limit (one year maximum).”
Critics have long argued
that such arrangements,
which players including
Brazilian Neymar and
Argentina’s Carlos Tevez
have been subject to, can
lead to conflicts of interest and possible corruption. Supporters, however, have argued that
it often enables poorer
clubs to hang on to their
best players.
SPORTS
P31 Philander the destroyer
32
32
Saturday, December 20, 2014
ADVANTAGE
AUSSIES
India 71 for 1 at close, trail Australia by 26 runs
Brisbane
ndia were fighting back after
Australia gained a 97-run innings lead on the back of another century from new skipper Steve Smith and a wagging
tail in the second Gabba Test
yesterday.
The tourists had cut the deficit back to 26 runs by the close
on the third day at 71 for one
with Shikhar Dhawan on 26 and
Cheteshwar Pujara not out at 15.
The day belonged to the Australians, trailing by 187 runs at
the start but piling on 258 runs
for the last four wickets with
Smith leading the way. Smith
posted his second ton of the series and Johnson a swashbuckling 88 off 93 balls to give Australia the edge to win the Test
over the closing two days
and take a 2-0 lead in
the four-match series.
Smith and Johnson
shared in a ground
record 148-run stand
for the seventh wicket
to take the steam out
of the Indians. “It was
six for 240-odd and
India were bowling well and
Mitchell
John-
I
SCOREBOARD
India vs Australia
India 1st innings 408 (M. Vijay 144, A.
Rahane 81; J. Hazlewood 5-68)
Australia 1st innings (overnight 221-4)
C. Rogers c Dhoni b Yadav
55
D. Warner c Ashwin b Yadav
29
S. Watson c Dhawan b Ashwin
25
S. Smith b I. Sharma
133
S. Marsh c Ashwin b Yadav
32
M. Marsh b I. Sharma
11
B. Haddin c Pujara b Aaron
6
M. Johnson c Dhoni b I.Sharma
88
son came out and really took it
to the Indian bowlers,” Smith
said. “Our whole tail batted
beautifully and to get us above
500 was remarkable, we had a
good day of cricket and
hopefully we start well in
the morning and pick
up a few wickets.”
Mitchell
Starc
chipped in with 52 off
59 balls, Nathan Lyon
hit 23 and Test debutant Josh Hazlewood
cracked an unbeaten
32 to frustrate India’s attempts to wrap up
the innings.
Starc
M. Starc b Ashwin
N. Lyon c R. Sharma b Aaron
J. Hazlewood not out
Total (all out; 109.4 overs)
India 2nd innings
M. Vijay b Starc
S. Dhawan not out
C. Pujara not out
Total (1 wicket; 23 overs)
bounced back from his indifferent bowling in the first innings
and struck a major blow with
the wicket of Murali Vijay for 27
in the 11th over of India’s second
i n nings. Vij a y,
who had
s core d
three
consecut ive
halfcenturies
including
144 in
the
Cheteshwar Pujara (right) and Shikhar Dhawan smile as they walk
back to the pavilion at the end of play
52
23
32
505 27
26
15
71
first innings in Brisbane, was
in two minds whether to play
only for the ball to strike his bat
and hit the stumps. The day’s
highlight was Johnson’s gamechanging innings, which
finished tantalisingly short
of his second Test century
when he was caught behind off Ishant Sharma
for 88 off 93 balls with
13 fours and a six.
Smith followed five
balls later when
he was finally dismissed in the series
for 133. He insideedged
Sharma
onto his stumps to
end a 303-minute vigil. It had
taken India 704
minutes to finally get Smith’s
wicket
over
three innings.
(AFP)
Mitchell Johnson plays
a shot
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